Naruto: Nakama
by Zero-One01
Summary: A "continuation" of the series after the war. Naruto & friends must deal with the struggles of growing up. With several new faces popping up, and a new threat on the horizon, how will our heroes change? How will their relationships change? AU as of ch535
1. At War's End!

**Naruto: Nakama**

Alright, my first ever 'fic! ….Well, first ever published one, anyway. I need some ratings, please! Be as honest as you like, except if you're gonna flame. No need for that; if you don't like it, you don't like it. =P

Anyway, enjoy!

Mandatory copyright note: I don't own Naruto or any canon characters. There will be OC's, which I DO own.

Please excuse the formatting if it looks "off". If anyone can tell me how to format things properly on here, I'd be grateful.

(A/N)= Author's Note. I'll try to use these sparingly.

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Chapter 1- At War's End!

BOOOOM!

Yet another explosion rocked the chamber where Uzumaki Naruto was training with his latest mentor, Killer Bee.

"Dangit," exclaimed the young shinobi, "Almost had it that time!"

'Bee nodded. "All's ya gotta do/Is pull on through/Your Tailed Beast Ball/ Will make 'em fools take the fall!...Yeah." (A/N: I can't rap. =P Sorry if I offended anyone.)

Naruto flinched. "Huh. What's with all these weird vibes I keep getting….? Is there something up?"

"What 'vibes'? Ain't felt nothin' odd." Killer Bee lied to his new student.

"Hmm…..Alright then," Naruto mused, moving as if he was going to continue training.

Killer Bee relaxed slightly. "Heh, looks like he really ain't so bright after all," he thought to himself.

"….Then you won't mind if I take a quick look!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, zooming out of the cave.

"….Or maybe I gotta pay more attention," Killer Bee thought.

Running out of the cave, Naruto was able to see a commotion in the distance. Nearby, he could see a few other ninja, but they looked injured. He noticed that their uniforms were all different- one from Suna, one from Konoha, and one from Iwa- but their headbands were all the same. They all had the kanji for "Shinobi" on them. Approaching them, Naruto hailed them as he dodged Killer Bee's attempt to grab him. "Hey," said Naruto. "What the heck happened? And what's with the headbands?"

Without thinking, the Konoha shinobi spilled the one truth everyone was trying to hide from the fox-boy. "It's this damn war," he complained. "I mean, where have you been that you don't know…." He trailed off as he realized who he was talking to.

"A _war_? What the hell? And you didn't _tell_ me?" screamed Naruto. "Is everyone out there right now? My friends? Answer me!"

The older shinobi looked lost, and a little scared.

Killer Bee sighed."Ya may as well tell 'im. He won't stop askin' until then, you know that."

The Konoha shinobi looked a little nervous, partly because of the glares of his comrades, and partly because an angry jinchuriki was standing uncomfortably close to him. "Yes," he finally admitted.

"Alright then! Time to go jump in!" shouted Naruto. Then, all of a sudden, "Naruto" burst into a cloud of smoke.

"Heh, Kage Bunshin. Good thing I had my own!" said 'Bee. "Y'all rest up now, ya hear?" he said as his own clone dissipated.

Meanwhile, the real Naruto and Killer Bee were racing toward the battlefield. Naruto was astounded to see hordes of Zetsus running amok. The troops seemed to be handling themselves, but Naruto and Killer Bee took the time to ensure they took down as many enemies as they could while running through the battlefield.

The younger jinchuriki turned to his new sensei. "I gotta go look for my friends!" he said. "Can you handle things here?"

"Guess I'mma have to," the Eight-Tails jinchuriki replied. "Don't do anything stupid, a'ight?"

"Heheh, I can't make any promises!" yelled Naruto as he ran off.

As Naruto ran, he managed to see some of his friends. Shikamaru's group had just finished a hard fight with what appeared to be Asuma-sensei. Hinata and Neji were holding their own against a troop of Zetsus, taking turns attacking the cloned army, each while the other rested. Sakura was healing the wounded, while Kakashi battled what appeared to be Kiri ninja wielding odd blades. However, they were much too far away for him to help. He hoped they could get through alright. Shino and Kiba had also teamed up to take out Zetsu clones, each in his own style. He even caught the odd glimpse of Tenten or Lee, the former when she sniped oncoming enemies, and the latter as he zipped around the battlefield, mowing down what enemies were foolish enough to get in his way. This gave Naruto an idea. He ignited his Biju cloak, both to draw the enemies to him and give his friends a bit of a breather, and to attain enough speed to get around more efficiently, for he knew that, for the enemy to truly be vanquished, he must locate and take out a certain individual.

The Nine-Tails jinchuriki, chakra blazing, mowed down all enemies in his path. He was unstoppable, though he looked like he was searching more than fighting. More than once, his allies, including those that knew him best, were left wondering exactly what he was looking for. He never found it, however.

It found _him_.

Chains, all forged from the same material, wrapped around his wrists and ankles, lifting him into the air. They felt strangely familiar, and it was then that Naruto realized that these chains were a lot like the ones his mother had used to bind the Kyubi the other day, and since he wasn't generating them, they had to be the same ones she described in her recounting of Tobi's attack. No sooner had Naruto finished this thought process that the man himself stepped out of the shadows.

"I have you now, Nine-Tails," he said, self-assuredly. "The last time I held a jinchuriki in this position, I extracted the beast from her. Oh, right, that was you _mother_, wasn't it? Like mother, like son, I suppose."

Zetsu's true White Half stepped out of the darkness, his single eye glowing. "He wants to come out," he informed Tobi.

"I don't just want to come out," corrected a familiar voice. "I want to join in this," Sasuke said as he, too, came out of the shadows. "This...'extraction' thing. I want to be a part of it."

"S-Sasuke..." Naruto said, almost pleadingly. "'Why?'"

"I have my own reasons," said the young Uchiha. "Reasons which aren't any of your damn business."

"Alright then," responded Tobi. "If you want to be a part of it, be a part of it. Extract the beast. Now. You know the jutsu."

As he spoke, he lowered Naruto to just above the ground, so that while the young jinchuriki could not get any traction, Sasuke would have a clear shot at the stomach, where the Fox was sealed. Sasuke made a set of handsigns, and Naruto closed his eyes. However, the strangest thing happened. Instead of the light, otherworldly sensation that Gaara had once described, Naruto felt heavy. In fact, he felt like he landed right on the ground where he belonged. When he opened his eyes, he was astounded to find the chains shattered and evaporating, and his old friend standing with his back to him, protecting him.

"Sasuke...?" Naruto asked, warily.

"It's about time you got up, loser," said the raven-haired youth.

"Hm...Sasuke, I had thought you said that you wanted to be a part of the extraction?' asked Tobi.

"Yeah, but I never said _which_ part, old man. What you never realized was, the part I'm playing is...the part that _**opposes you**_."

At this, Tobi simply stood silent, but Naruto could clearly sense murderous intent seeping out of him.

"Why are you helping me?" asked Naruto.

"How the hell should I know? My body...just moved. On its own. Call it a whim. And besides, the old bastard wants to destroy Konoha in revenge...I'm not someone who'll just stand by while another gets to do what I wanted to do!" he shouted, activating his Sharingan.

"Heh...So, what...We're taking him down together?"

"That was kind of the plan, idiot. If he's going to be stopped, now's the time," quipped Sasuke.

"I'm glad you two could get reacquainted," said Tobi, now sporting an aura of danger and malice. "But the only ones who will be stopped here today are _you_, fools! Zetsu!"

Zetsu formed a string of handsigns, and at the last, a barrier sprang up around the area where the two friends faced the remaining Akatsuki. Several ninja attempted to breach the barrier to help, only to be sent reeling. Even Hinata and Neji had their Gentle Fist attacks on the shield bounce right off, including an Air Palm Wall which rebounded and struck them, knocking them back.

Naruto turned to observe what was going on. His friends kept getting knocked back, but they kept getting back up, trying to help him. Turning back to Sasuke, Naruto put a hand on his shoulder. "Ok. I'll work with you. But stick around afterward; because we still need to have our fight."

"Yeah, whatever, loser. Look!"

Naruto looked back at Tobi, only to see that he no longer had to merely sense the latter's aura- he had manifested it.

"You'll have plenty of time to talk, young ones...Once you're n the next world!" With that, the enigmatic ninja charged.

The rest of the battle passed in a blur of action, reaction, and the odd bit of tag-teaming. Naruto had largely no idea what he was doing, just doing what felt right in thsituation, inserting the old "Kage Bunshin Decoy" where and when he could, even transforming a few into Sasuke.

When the dust cleared, Tobi was holding one arm. "Rrhg," he growled. "Zetsu! We're leaving!"

"Get back here!" Sasuke bellowed as he chased Tobi with a Chidori armed.

However, it was too late. Tobi and Zetsu had vanished without trace.

"Darn it," spat Naruto.

"Grr," growled Sasuke. "He must have used some space-time ninjutsu to escape."

"Space-time ninjutsu?" Naruto asked. "What's that?"

"Hmph. Nothing that someone like you needs to know about," replied the crimson-eyed shinobi, leveling his sword at his former comrade.

"S-Sasuke?" Naruto said, clearly shocked at the development.

"What? Don't tell me you've forgotten? We're supposed to fight, remember?" retorted Sasuke. He had already put his sword away, opting for a Chidori instead. "Let's settle this!"

"Alright then…..Here goes!" Naruto responded, powering up a Biju Rasengan. He couldn't rightly tell by sight alone, but it seemed that Sasuke's Chidori had changed as well- possibly enhanced by his Mangekyo Sharingan. Naruto didn't have much more time to ponder on what this could mean, however, because right at that minute, his friend charged.

"**NARUTOOOO**!"

Of course, our hero responded in kind: "**SASUKEEEE**!"

When they clashed, there was an explosion of light and sound, but for some reason, everything after that was vague, as if he was a third party, watching his own battle. Not only that, someone was calling his name.

"Naruto! Naruto! Wake up, Naruto!...Please…..Just wake up…."

Everything in Naruto's field of vision turned black. All of a sudden, he felt himself lying in a warm bed, feeling very stiff. Opening his eyes, he was both surprised and yet not surprised to find Sakura sobbing next to his bed, as Kakashi and Shikamaru looked on. Kakashi put a hand on Sakura's shoulder to alert her to Naruto's awakening, as Shikamaru merely smiled.

"Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"Y-Yeah," Naruto said shakily.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," quipped Shikamaru.

"Wait, _what_?" yelled Naruto.

"You were out for nearly four months, Naruto." responded Kakashi sensei."We all feared the worst."

Slowly, Naruto sat up.

"F-Four months…?" he repeated, slowly. "So….That means I failed. Again. Failed to stop Sasuke….And even failed to stop that Tobi, too," he said, dejectedly.

"Hey, at least you actually managed to _touch_ the guy," said Shikamaru. "None of us could manage that. And about Sasuke, I wouldn't worry. He saved you, you know."

Naruto stared at him as if he'd grown a second head.

"No, really," Shikamaru said, "Turns out Tobi or whatever his name is managed to poison you during the fight. You managed to hold on for a bit while fighting Sasuke, but the poison nearly took hold. He somehow had the antidote, and he saved you. He said something about not wanting to kill someone who wasn't able to defend himself or something. Said it was no good."

Hearing this, Naruto gained a small smile. "So there IS something there, after all," he said, relieved. "Wait, where's everyone else? Choji? Ino? Hinata's team and Bushy-Brow's team?"

"They're all fine," responded Kakashi. "Team 10 and Team Gai are helping with the final repairs around the village. As for Team 8, they're out on a mission. It's nothing they can't handle themselves."

"That's good," Naruto said, lying back down. "I guess I can rest at ease now."

Sakura took that opportunity to rap him on the head with her knuckles lightly, though apparently still hard enough to prompt a mildly aggravated "Yeowch!" from her charge. "Oh no you don't. Now that you're awake, we need to start you on physical therapy right away!"

"Agh, fiiiine," he whined. "But can I at least have some ramen first?"

"Heh, good ol' Naruto," thought Shikamaru. "You never change."

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So how was it? =) Rate! XD


	2. Reunion!

Here's chapter two of Naruto: Bonds! Hopefully I get more reviews...For the time being, I'll be releasing two chapters a week, every other week!...Well, if the rest of my life permits, of course.

Don't worry folks, I still don't own Naruto.

All canon characters = Kishimoto-sensei's

Midori (my first OC) = mine

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Chapter 2- Reunion!

Right at that very moment, Team 8 was trudging home. Kiba had been injured on their last mission, though it wasn't so bad as to elicit immediate medical attention, Hinata, who had used Byakugan to check him, had advised not to move. He had taken several slashes and a few stabs, but all to non-vital regions. Hinata, being the closest thing to a Medical-nin they had, did her best to patch him up but was only able to staunch the bleeding and bandage him up. With Shino's help, Kiba was hoisted onto Akamaru. All these tasks were made all the more difficult by the fact that she had sprained her ankle and placed it in a makeshift splint.

"Huh, who would've thought that going after a buncha bandits would be so tough?" said Kiba as Hinata helped him adjust his sitting position.

"Those were no ordinary bandits. You're lucky to be alive, Kiba," retorted Shino. "If it wasn't for Hinata here, you charging in recklessly like that could've gotten you killed."

"What was that, bug-boy?"

Hinata began to feel uncomfortable. "Guys, please. Cut it out, alright?" she pleaded.

Both boys immediately stopped squabbling upon seeing her expression- she didn't show it intentionally, but she was clearly highly uncomfortable with the situation.

"Feh, whatever! It wouldn't do me any good to fight with you right now anyway, Shino!"

"For once, I suppose we agree on something, Kiba."

Hinata sighed. "I suppose that's the best I can hope for out of them," she thought to herself as she limped along next to Akamaru.

"Hey Hinata," said Kiba, his momentary anger gone. "How come you're walking? You need to rest that leg. Come on up here, Akamaru doesn't mind, do ya boy?" At this, the large dog woofed loudly, but seemed happy at the prospect of a new passenger. "There, ya see? Now come on. I mean it's not like you're all that heavy or anything."

"Th-Thanks Kiba, but I don't think my ankle will permit me to do anything more than walk right now. We're close to the village anyway, so it doesn't really matter, does it?

While his teammates were conversing, Shino heard a rustle in the bushes just off the path. "You two go on ahead," he told his comrades. "I need to go check something."

"But Shino," protested Hinata. "You're hurt, too!"

It was true. Shino had also sustained several injuries during the battle, as had Hinata, though neither as bad as Kiba's. They were misinformed by their client, and barely prepared for what they fought. It was almost like fighting a group of Zetsu clones again.

"So are you," he replied. "You and Kiba need to get back to the village as soon as possible. Any one of his wounds could open up at any time, and you need to rest yourself. As for me, I heard a noise and I'm still uneasy, so I'll check it out to make sure we weren't followed or something like that."

"Can't you just send bugs or something?" Kiba asked his friend.

"No. If I send my beetles and they're discovered, that would blow the whole recon operation," the bug-user replied. "I have to go myself for this one. And don't bother reminding me about your Byakugan, Hinata," he finished, preempting the forthcoming protests of his white-eyed teammate as he used his beetles to lift her gently onto Akamaru. "Your chakra is running low. All three of us know that. You used up most of it to protect Kiba and take those thugs out. You need what little you have to hang on until you get back home. I'll cover us….Now _go_!" Shino said the last bit while giving Akamaru a firm slap to the flank. Akamaru yelped, and galloped off like a horse.

Shino didn't want to hurt Akamaru, but he felt he had no choice. He was beginning to sense a high level of danger, but he wanted to make sure not to lead it to the village. He knew that his friends would have stayed to back him up if given the choice, even to the death. However, he also knew that right at that moment, he was the one with the highest survival rate of the squad in a combat situation. So, based on these assessments, he refused them the choice. He forced them to go home ahead of him…..And it turned out to be the choice that saved their lives.

WHOOOOSH!

Black flames erupted around Shino. Instantly, he knew who his assailant was. "Uchiha…..Sasuke. Been awhile."

The young Uchiha materialized out of the smoke as the Amanterasu's flames died down. He already had his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan activated.

Shino was not Naruto. He knew that. However, Sasuke having his ultimate dojutsu activated meant that every possible escape route was already blocked.

"Looking for a hole to crawl into, eh, Shino? Once a bug, always a bug," Sasuke taunted. In an instant, Shino had a gash on his right side, with Sasuke standing in back of him. "I want you to get a message to Naruto…But let's make sure you're paying attention first," he said, sadistically kicking Shino away. Flipping Shino onto his back as he tried to rise, Sasuke put a hand on the Aburame's chest. "Here's something I recently invented," hissed Sasuke darkly, "Let's see how you like my latest jutsu, the Chidori Pulse!" At those words, a painful shock ran through Shino's body. "Heh. Guess that's what happens to a bug when he touches a bug zapper," Sasuke quipped. He bent over, ripped off his opponent's goggles, and forced his eyes open. "Tsukuyomi," he said, invoking the technique. "You _will_ remember this. Tell Naruto to meet me at the Valley of the End. Even if you don't know where that is, he does. Now go."

A Sharingan glyph appeared over Shino's glazed eyes. Trudging along like a zombie, he picked up his goggles from where they'd fallen and walked off with them in his hand. Finally, deep into the forest, his injuries overtook him, and he collapsed. Before blacking out, however, he heard a door open, and a blade being drawn. "Heh. I guess this is it…" Shino mused as the darkness of unconsciousness overtook him. On and off, he would reawaken, but only to find some stranger standing over him, apparently trying to either remove his clothing or bandage his wounds. He would resist, but would always get a facefull of some kind of powder that rendered him unconscious again. He wasn't coherent enough to check whether it was a man or woman, but he found out soon enough.

"Hey," said an unfamiliar voice. "Hey! Are you awake?"

Shino slowly opened his eyes. "Wh-Wha…?" he managed. All of a sudden, he saw another face staring down at his. It was a girl's face, with kind, calm features, emerald-green eyes and slightly tanned skin. He noticed her hair next. Black and tied in a bun, with a flower pinned in it. Her hairstyle reminded him of that of Konan of the former Akatsuki, only this was a real flower as opposed to a paper one. He tried to get up, but she held a hand close to his chest.

"Oh no you don't. You'll reopen your wounds!" the girl admonished him as her expression changed to one of concern.

"Who are you…?" Shino asked. She didn't look at all familiar. She had no headband, and from what he could see, she wore a thigh-length green tunic with black bike pants underneath.

"Hey, are you checking me out or something?" she asked, obviously amused at the thought. "Anyway, Mr. Ninja, I suggest you tell me _your_ name first. After all, you're the one who collapsed on _my_ doorstep, and I don't even live in your village!" As she said this, she kept her warm smile, but her hand touched the broadsword she wore on her back.

"Aburame Shino," he managed. "Of Konoha."

"So this is a leaf, then?" she mused, holding up his headband. It was gleaming, which means she must have repaired and polished it. But to do that, she would've had to remove his hood and take it from him. There was no way that would've happened if he was conscious.

"Wait," he said. "Just how long was I out?"

"A few days, actually." she responded. "You were almost a goner, you know. You're lucky this forest has so many medicinal herbs. Your village is still a good distance away. Oh! Before I forget, my name's Midori. No fancy surname like yours," she said, grinning. "Now then, 'Aburame Shino….of Konoha'," she mimicked, complete with the pause. "Let's get you some food, ok?"

"No," he said, struggling once again to rise.

Midori sighed. "Didin't I tell you that you would—"

"Reopen my wounds? Yes. However, I have an important message to deliver to someone in my village! I _have_ to go back, right now!"

Midori took a step back. "Hey, no need to get all upset. Tell ya what. If it really means that much to you, I'll take you. But you have to do _everything_ the I say, and in the exact way I say to do it, if you want to be in one piece when we get there, ok?"

Shino simply nodded as she quickly went to the door.

Putting on a pair of plain straw sandals, she turned back to him. "Just stay put for a bit, alright? There's just one thing I have to do before we get ready to go."

Shino nodded again, but he had no intention of actually obeying her command. For all he knew, she worked for Sasuke, or even worse, Tobi! He decided to follow her. Struggling to his feet, he staggered to the door. Eventually, he followed her a through several gardens a short distance away from the cottage to a point where it seemed as if she were talking to a stone. Then Shino realized what the stone was- it was a grave.

"Grandpa, please watch over me and my new friend Shino on our way to Konoha," she said, bowing to her grandfather's grave. She nearly jumped as she turned and found Shino standing there. "Oh Kami, you scared me! Hey wait, I thought I told you to stay put!" At the last sentence, she began to look irate. "You really _will_ reopen those wounds, Shino. Do you want that?"

Shino shook his head. "So…'Grandpa,' huh?"

"What? Oh, er…Yeah. Truth be told, I was adopted," she said, briefly betraying a look of sadness on her face. Just as suddenly, she began to look determined. "But enough about that, we need to get you home!"

And so the two re-entered Midori's house, got ready, and set off for Konoha. It took them half a day to reach it, a fact made evident by the high position of the sun beating down on them.

"Ugh," groaned Midori. "Looks like I'm a plant who only likes moderate sunshine."

Shino chuckled at his newfound companion's comment.

"Hey, what're you laughing at?" she said, smiling.

Suddenly, Izumo and Kotetsu appeared before them.

"Hey, who are y—"

"It's alright, guys, she's with me," Shino cut them off. "We need to see Uzumaki Naruto. _Now._ Is he awake yet?"

"Well, y-yeah," stammered Kotetsu. "We'll take ya to him. However, your friend will have to leave her sword here."

Midori glared defiantly at the two gatekeeper Chunin. "Hell no! This blade was passed to me by my grandpa! I'm not letting some random strangers take it!"

Izumo stepped forward. "Then would you mind waiting here with me while my friend here takes Shino to Naruto? It's either that or the blade."

"Well at least I get to keep it this way," grunted Midori. "Take care of him, alright? And watch it- He's got a ways to go before he's fully healed."

"Don't worry about it, I got this," said Kotetsu reassuringly. He then lifted Shino onto his back and ran off to the Konoha Ninja Hospital.

Although he expected to see Naruto first, Shino was surprised and moderately annoyed to see Sakura coming into the room where he had been told to wait.

"I told them, I have to speak to Naruto!" Shino demanded.

"Yeah, I know, but he's in therapy right now, and I need to check your injuries," Sakura responded.

Shino was forced to comply.

Removing his bandages, Sakura marveled at the workmanship. "Wow. Whoever did this really knows their way around herbs. You're saying a non-ninja did this?"

"I'll tell you all about it later. Just get me Naruto already, will you? It's urgent."

Sakura gave an exasperated sigh. "What could be _so_ important that you're suddenly so pushy? This isn't like you at all."

"It's about Sasuke," Shino said. "He's issued a challenge."

Staring back at him in shock, Sakura dropped the roll of bandages she was about to use on Shino.

Konoha's finest soon gathered to hear the news.

Shino explained to them what had occurred.

"It's simple," Gai-sensei offered, "Take him in or take him down."

"Huh, that's unusually succinct coming from you, Gai," Kakashi-sensei replied, "But for once, I completely agree."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Oh really, Kakashi? And what would you have us do right now?"

"I believe everyone knows the answer to that, Lady Hokage."

Anko spoke up, looking concerned."Naruto? We all know the kid is strong, but Kakashi-sempai, aren't you putting a little _too_ much pressure on the poor kid's shoulders?"

"Well, thanks for sticking up for me, Anko-sensei….But I'm fine!" A blast of smoke erupted from the center of the circular meeting area. When the smoke cleared, Naruto was standing there, geared up for combat. "I'm going to fight him. You know that. You may as well pick out my backup right now."

"Watch it, buster," Gai-sensei warned. "Much as I'm into displays of youthful passion, you may want to tone it down. After all, you're talking to the Hokage."

Tsunade looked long and hard at Naruto. "Very well. Shikamaru! Gai! Take your teams and go with Naruto. Kakashi, you'll go with them as backup."

Naruto grinned. "Thanks, Grandma."

Tsunade kept her hard expression, but Naruto could tell tears were welling up in her eyes. She was great at hiding it, but she was genuinely worried for him. "Naruto….You…..You just better come home safe, you hear? Even if it means running away…."

"Heh, you know I'm not that kinda guy, Grandma! I mean come on!"

Tsunade could've sworn she was seeing double again, but she thought she saw both Nawaki and Dan in Naruto again.

Shino broke her reverie. "Wait. What about my squad?"

Tsunade quickly returned to her stern façade. "You three still haven't recovered from your previous mission," she replied. "None of you are in any shape to fight."

Naruto walked up to his friend. "Actually Shino, I do have a request for you. If you want, call it a mission. I need you and Kiba to keep an eye on Hinata," he said, as flashes of her failed attempt to protect him against Pein flashed through his mind, "Make sure she doesn't do anything dumb, like follow me onto the battlefield or something. I don't think she'll be so lucky this time if she does." At the last line, his expression changed to one of concern. "Got it?"

Behind his extremely high collar, Shino smirked. "Ok then. We'll make sure your _girlfriend_ doesn't miss you too much."

Naruto looked flustered. "H-Hey! It's not like that…..! Gah, why'd ya have to bring this kinda stuff up _now_, of all times?"

Just then, Sakura appeared. "I'm ready to go as well, Milady," she said.

"No, Sakura," responded Tsunade. "You're much too emotionally attached to this. You can't—"

"But Naruto's going!" the young kunoichi shouted at her mentor.

Naruto just stood silent, unsure what to say or do in this situation.

"That may be, young lady, but he also happens to be the one with the best chance of actually coming back from this alive. You'll most likely be needed here, to treat the wounded as they come in."

"But—" Sakura started.

"Hey Sakura," Naruto called. "Don't worry. I'll bring him back, no matter what! You'll see!" With that, he raced off.

By the time Naruto arrived at the gates to rendezvous with the rest of his team, they were all assembled.

"Hey Naruto," Choji said. "You want a bag of chips? You shouldn't go into battle on an empty stomach!"

Ino slapped her teammate's stomach. "Ugh, you _always_ think about food! Listen, Naruto, give it everything you've got, okay? Don't think about how Sakura or me or anyone will react…..Even if….Even if you have to kill Sasuke to stop him."

Naruto held up a hand. "Thanks for the offer, Choji, but I've eaten. And Ino, thanks. But don't worry, I'm bringing him back _alive_, as long as I have a choice!"

Kakashi stepped in. "Alright you guys. If we're all ready, let's head out!"

Finally, Naruto arrived at the location Shino had described. He had told his backup to wait a distance away so they wouldn't interfere and risk being hurt in the ensuing battle.

Though he didn't expect the specific place, he knew from Shino's account, even before being told, who had summoned him. However, when he arrived at the Valley of the End as Shino had relayed to him, Naruto was still not prepared for what he found.

What he saw there, standing atop the statue of Uchiha Madara, was his old friend and mortal enemy, Sasuke Uchiha. Still wrapped in the tattered remains of his Akatsuki cloak, he turned to face his old rival.

"So, you finally came. About time, too. I was about to come looking," he said with a cruel sneer, and with a slightly mocking tone in his voice. "Anyway, good. I want to tell you something," he said, drawing his blade. "I'm sick and tired of you chasing me wherever the hell I go. I'm sick of your caring, sick of your...friendship." He said the last word as if it were a foreign word he was still learning to pronounce. "So let's fight. Either I beat you, KILL you, then raze your precious village to achieve my revenge, or you beat me, and..."

"And?" Naruto demanded.

"...And I'll let you take me back," he said. "Willingly." Oddly enough, Sasuke's features seemed to soften slightly at the last bit. Then, just as suddenly, they hardened again.

Naruto understood exactly what was going to happen. Either he or Sasuke could die here, but either way, it would be his final opportunity to save his friend. He couldn't afford to fail again.

"...So if I win, you'll just come back? Just like that?" Naruto asked.

"Just like that," said the raven-haired youth nonchalantly. "I'll even hand over my sword and let you have some Hyuga block off my chakra points or whatever."

"Fine then," Naruto said. "If we have to fight, let's fight. I told you, Sasuke...I'll bring you back to the Leaf, even if I have to break every bone in your body!" the Nine-Tails jinchuriki bellowed, eyes blazing crimson.

"Heh," chuckled Sasuke, activating his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. "So we're just jumping to our highest power levels, eh? No wonder you had your backup stay back; you haven't changed one bit."

In a flash, they both charged at the other, going so fast as to disappear from view as they ran.

As the first few explosions and flashes erupted from Naruto and Sasuke's battle, a nervous Tenten looked on. "Kakashi-sensei, will Naruto be alright? I'm getting a bad feeling about this..."

"Hm," mused Kakashi. "He should be able to handle himself. Neji, how's it look?"

The young Hyuga winced, deactivating his Byakugan in a hurry. "Agh," he moaned. "There's...Too much chakra. It's interfering with my vision; I can barely see anything or perceive anything except that, by a very rough estimate, they seem to be evenly matched, blow for blow. Sorry."

"No, that's alright, Neji," responded the ashen-haired jonin. "Let's wait this out, and put our faith in Naruto to win...Like everyone else is doubtlessly doing right now."


	3. Clash!

I still don't own the canon story, or any of the canon characters. Midori is mine, though.

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Chapter 3- Clash!

Neji had been correct. The self-proclaimed "Orange Hokage" truly was matching his opponent blow-for-blow. Every so often, Naruto's allies got the urge to jump in, only to feel the clashing auras of chakra and realize that, should they jump into the fray, they may well be vaporized.

For every bolt of lightning the young Uchiha sent Naruto's way, there was an extended limb of his Biju Cloak to contend with. It was almost like fighting an Akimichi; for Naruto's Cloak was stretching a fair distance from his actual body. Seeing such a sight brought back memories for Sasuke, memories of their previous fight at that location. It had been raining. They clashed verbally as well as physically, and even though four years had passed, this battle felt just like that one in the past, when they still called each other "friend." However, just like back then, Sasuke was forced to keep his thoughts on the battle at hand, for Naruto was pressing him at every chance he got.

Though he and Sasuke were evenly matched, Naruto was still nonplussed, as that still meant he wasn't making any progress. Sasuke didn't look like he would tire anytime soon.

"Dang it," thought Naruto. "At this rate, I might actually run out of chakra before this is over….!" As the young jinchuriki kept feeling anguish at his lack of progress, it turned to frustration, which in turn turned to anger. "Damn it! I can't lose here!" he thought. He formed another Biju Rasengan. However, this time he had an idea. He could use Shape Transformation fairly decently, so perhaps…

Sasuke was surprised to see Naruto put his hands together at the heels.

"What could that idiot possibly be—" he thought. He didn't get time to finish that line of thought, though, as the chakra covering Naruto's hands began to bubble, then form into a facsimile of the head of his half-possessed self, complete with glowing eyes and mouth. Suddenly, the Biju Rasengan shrank, and pseudo-Naruto inhaled it, making the portion of his Kyubi aura around his arms bulge. Sasuke barely had time to both recall Orochimaru's reports and dodge before the attack reached him. As he landed, he assumed he was safe, but he had gravely miscalculated. He knew this the instant he landed, for one of his legs was radiating a searing pain, as if it had been burned by fire. While there was no visible burn scar on his skin, part of his pant leg was missing. Naruto had hit him. Perhaps this battle wasn't exactly like the one so long ago, after all.

Breathing heavily, Naruto briefly disengaged his Biju Cloak. That blast had taken a lot of energy to perform, even for one such as him. Noticing that Sasuke was reeling from the new, invisible wound on his leg, the orange-clad hero took the opportunity to strategize. Thinking quickly, he generated three Kage Bunshins, had them hide, and then started to meditate himself.

Sensing something was about to happen, Sasuke reactivated the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Just as he recovered from Naruto's attack, whatever it was, he stood, only for Naruto to do the same.

Sasuke's eyes weren't the only ones that changed. Naruto gained some sort of red border around his eyes, and when he opened the eyes themselves, the strangest change revealed itself: his eyes were those of a toad. Naruto had entered Sage Mode, something Orochimaru had only mentioned in passing when referring to his past battles with Jiraiya. Sages were apparently much more powerful than the average shinobi, even the stronger ones. Sasuke knew that he would have to be careful from here on, even with his new power.

Just then, Naruto charged, aura blazing with Nature Chakra rather than Kyubi Chakra.

From his hiding place in the forest, Kakashi marveled at Naruto's newfound strength. "Huh….He's got Sasuke on the defensive. Looks like Sage Mode, too."

"'Sage Mode'? What's that, sensei?" asked Tenten.

"Yes!" murmured Lee. "We are all ears, Kakashi-sensei! Please tell us!" Kakashi thought for a bit, then sighed.

"Heh. I guess it wouldn't do any harm. Basically, Sage Mode is a state in which a ninja channels something called 'Nature Chakra', which, long story short, is the energy of nature itself. Not even a handful of known shinobi have ever achieved that kind of power."

Neji nodded. "I noticed him conjuring a few Kage Bunshins earlier. Perhaps that's how he's doing it…..Heh. To be able to access the power of nature itself…..Naruto really is something else, itsn't he?" mused the young Hyuga.

"That he is," confirmed Gai. "And I hope the kid wins, too….Otherwise…."

Kakashi stayed silent.

"Heh. Don't even think about it, sensei," called a voice from nearby.

The group turned to see Shikamaru standing on a branch, as if ready to jump in at any time. "Don't even talk about 'what would happen if Naruto lost,' either. Right now, the most we can do for him is keep the faith. If we can't even do that," he turned to the rest of the group, an expression of calm determination across his features, "Then we shouldn't even call ourselves his friends!"

Gai was silent for a second, then responded with a grin. "Heh! Of course you're right. Forgive me, my YOUTHful passion must have wavered for a moment, but all is well! For now, my flame has been lighted anew by your determination for your friend! Let's cheer him on!"

"Ugh, he never does anything halfway, does he…?" thought Tenten exasperatedly.

Back in Konoha, the situation was tense. The village was prepared for the worst. The civilians were evacuated into the Hokage Monument, and those children left in the Academy were guarded by their senseis and a handful of genin. The hospital was on lockdown as well. Midori was finally allowed into Shino's room to visit, and ended up remaining there at his request when the entire village was put on lock-down.

Meahwhile, Hinata fretted about the situation. She knew in her heart that Naruto would be okay, but her mind kept wandering down dark paths of probability and what-ifs. Akamaru's nose poking her hand, which should be a familiar sensation, caused her to jump. "Gyahh! Oh...Akamaru. Sorry," she apologized to the startled Ninja Hound.

"Hey, be nicer to my dog, alright?" complained Kiba from his hospital bed. "He was just worried about ya, like I am. What's eatin' you?" "

Nothing," the midnight-haired kunoichi lied. "It's nothing…..Just….I'm just a little worried, that's all," she said, resting her face in her hands. She had been told of the situation by Shino, when she had pressed him for information after the briefing as to why Naruto was running off like that, and why he had been in such bad shape when he had his bugs to protect him. When Hinata is determined to get answers, an angry Sakura would actually be easier to handle. At least you can expect what's coming, since she wears her heart on her sleeve, unlike the Hyuga heiress.

"Hey," her teammate said, "Remember, this is _Naruto_ we're talking about. He'll be okay, no matter what. He doesn't always need you to jump in and save him, ya know." He managed a smile, though Hinata could tell he was just as worried. Shino had told her that Naruto himself wished for her to remain in Konoha, and although that confused her a bit, she was torn. On the one hand, she wanted to respect his wishes, because of the pain her injury or death would have caused him, but on the other hand, she was uneasy. The other side of her wanted to go, to see for herself that he made it out alright….Perhaps to jump in again if he needed it.

Just then, Shino limped into the room with his new friend, the one called "Midori". Hinata wasn't so sure of her, either. Who was she? Was it just luck that Shino had run into her? Shino looked straight at Hinata.

"Is everything okay?" he asked. "You look like you're about to do something rash."

His shy teammate blushed. Had she really been making that sort of expression?

"I….I, um…" She was at a loss for words.

The green-clad girl spoke up. "Hey. I can tell you're worried, but if this Naruto guy is as strong as they say, he'll come out on top. I mean, he's done the impossible before, right?"

"Y-yes," Hinata mangaged. She was so worried and frustrated by now that she was close to tears. "But you don't know Naruto! This battle….This isn't a battle with an enemy for him! He dearly wants Sasuke to return…..But Sasuke…That….He….." She trailed off as a tear coursed down her right cheek. Taking a shaky breath, she continued, yelling, "I can't believe Sasuke would just _abandon_ Naruto and Sakura like that! And now look, _look_ at how much pain Naruto is going through because of his vengeance! And I…..I….I can't do _anything at all_ to help him…! None of us can…..Because….Because we're not strong enough….Because we'll just be in the way…And because he'll just worry….!" She sat down on the bed, trying to hold back the tears. "Why…? Why must this happen to him? Why can't I…Why can't _we_ do anything? Why is it always him? Why is it always him who has to suffer? Why does he have to be the only one to carry the weight of Sasuke's fate on his shoulders? Why?...Poor Naruto….He worked so hard for his friendship with Sasuke…..Why did all this have to happen?" S

hino stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder as she began to sob, while Kiba managed to sit up and place one on her other shoulder. Akamaru placed his head on her lap.

"Hey," said Kiba. "Aren't _you_ the one who's always tellin' us not to underestimate Naruto? That he can withstand anything? You said it yourself, he may get knocked down, he might fail, but Naruto is Naruto. He ain't never givin' up. Not back when he was always the odd one out in the Academy, not when he was fighting me in the Chunin Exams, not when that guy with the weird piercings destroyed the village, and not with that punk Sasuke."

"He's right, you know," added Shino. "He may not be so great at remembering names, but Naruto is Naruto. This is just another one of his crazy battles….One of those ones where he wins, even when he really shouldn't."

"Huh," Midori chimed in, squatting next to Akamaru to pet him. "You're all forgetting something," she said flatly. "All three of you….Especially you, Hinata…..You all seem to believe in this 'Naruto'. So why are you saying you 'can't do anything for him'?"

Hinata raised her head a bit to look at her, now that her sobs were starting to lessen. "What do you mean…?" She managed.

"Well, believing in someone is still _something_, isn't it? Even if you can't do anything else at all for someone, you can still believe in them. In fact, I'll bet that's what he needs, more than anything, right now….Especially if he's going through all that stuff you were talking about." Hinata just stared at her for a little while, then lowered her head again, this time to wipe her face.

"You guys," she said. "Everyone…..Thank you."

Maybe this Midori wasn't so bad after all.

Outside the hospital room, Sakura froze. She had been listening to the whole conversation, but she realized something. _She_ still didn't truly believe in Naruto. She couldn't count the number of times in the past hour alone that she had grumbled about being left out of the mission to bring Sasuke back, that Naruto couldn't handle it alone, that the Hokage should've let her go. But she knew, now, that she would just get in the way. She cares about both of them too much, unlike Hinata who nearly hated Sasuke but loved Naruto, and also unlike Ino or Tenten, who are just friends either way. Also, Naruto could handle himself. He really had done the impossible before.

"Hah….I really am selfish, aren't I?" she thought to herself. "He's going through so much, but all I can think of is what _I_ want, how _I_ feel. Why do I always do that…? Thanks, guys….Hinata, you really are right for him, aren't you. Shino, Kiba, and even the new girl, Midori….All four of you….You're better friends to Naruto than I am, huh…..Naruto….You better come back…Do you hear me? I know you will; but even more than that….You'd better…..You'd better come back safe!"

In the Academy, the situation was also quite tense. Iruka's classroom was the one with the most occupants. A few students had actually volunteered to stay behind and help the older ninja protect their peers, one of them being the young Hyuga Hanabi.

She was only ten years old, but Hanabi was already marked by her teachers for early graduation. She was stated to be a good candidate for a new ninja, and was the first-ever female "#1 Student" in her class, if what Iruka-sensei had told her was true. However, even she, one who was considered a "genius" for her age, was feeling very nervous, a fact which evidently was betrayed by her facial expression, since one of the genin was coming up to her. He was a boy, perhaps two years older, with spiky brown hair, tanned skin and a few scars on his face. His long blue scarf flowed slightly as he walked, but Hanabi was not impressed, as it almost looked to her like he would trip if he stepped backwards too quickly.

"Hey," he finally said.

Her suspicions were confirmed- it was Sarutobi Konohamaru, a ninja from the graduating class two years ago.

"Hey," he repeated. "You alright?"

Hanabi blinked. "Y-Yeah," she managed as he sat down beside her.

"He looks….Rather relaxed for this kind of situation," she thought.

"Yeah, you're probably scared, aren't ya? After all, you've never actually seen someone attack the village. We both slept through Sand and Sound's invasion three years ago, and you were away or something with your dad a few months ago when that Pein guy attacked. This is the first time you've actually been around when the village was in this kind of danger."

Hanabi's eyes widened. "I-I'm not scared!" she yelled at her sempai.

He simply responded by leaning back and flashing her one of his big, goofy grins. "Then why are you so tense?" he asked, almost teasingly.

"I…That…." she replied, blushing slightly.

"No need to be scared, though. That's Naruto out there. He's not goin' down anytime soon. That's how I can be so relaxed. That Sasuke guy is super-strong, sure, but Naruto's stronger. Even if he goes down, he won't let Sasuke attack the village." At the last bit, Konohamaru's face changed to that of either reverence or determination, Hanabi couldn't tell which.

"Naruto…." she thought. It was a name her sister frequently said, and then blushed at. Now Hanabi knew why. If what Konohamaru said was true, this "Naruto"…just might be someone to believe in.

Tsunade plopped down in her chair exhaustedly.

"Urgh," she groaned. "Must be getting old," she mused. "I guess _looking_ young doesn't quite cut it anymore."

Just then, Shizune stepped in. "Lady Tsunade!" she said. She, too, looked worse for wear. "Everything is as you ordered!"

"Good," replied her mentor. "Now I want you with the civilians. Make sure no one is injured….Just in case."

"Just in case?" asked a deep, gravelly voice. "Just in case of what, eh?" Suddenly, there was a puff of smoke, and on Tsunade's desk stood Fukusaku, Naruto and Jiraiya's teacher.

"Lord Fukusaku…." Tsunade responded.

"Are ye givin' up on Naruto-boy so easily?" asked the wizened old toad.

"Well, no, but…."

"But ye need to reinforce your defenses, is that it?" he demanded.

"Yes," Tsunade replied. "All we are trying to do is be prepared, just in case."

The old toad sighed. "You mean you're just tryin' to waste time," he retorted. "Naruto-boy is _my_ student. There is no way under the sun that he will fall so easily." Then he stroked his beard thoughtfully, as if rethinking his position. "But, if you really feel like such precautions are necessary, I won't hold it against you. I will return to Mt. Myoboku to inform my wife, so she knows what's going on and can oversee things there accordingly. Then, I shall return with the warrior toads, to bolster your village's defenses. How's that, eh?" Once he said that, he turned, grinning at Tsunade.

Lord Fukusaku…..Thank you," she said. "And I- No, _we_ believe in Naruto. We _all _do."

Just then, the deafening sound of a powerful explosion rocked the village.

* * *

As always, rate and review!


	4. The Return!

I still don't own Naruto. Don't sue me. =P

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Chapter 4- The Return!

Naruto and Sasuke flew in opposite directions. Sasuke was amazed; Naruto was even keeping up with him at his new power levels. Just then, he had attempted to fuse Amanterasu and Kirin, but Naruto had somehow thrown his Rasenshuriken in its path and created a giant explosion. However, Sasuke also felt the pressure of the area's chakra lessen. He must have at least taken out the clones that were supplying Naruto with extra energy. He was making progress.

However, that wasn't about to stop Naruto.

Undeterred, the young Sage rushed again at his target. Immediately, Sasuke attempted to blast him with Amanterasu, but at the last second, Naruto managed to create a Kage Bunshin right in front of himself to absorb the attack. Sasuke summoned Susanoo, with which he knocked Naruto back and gave himself a little breathing room. He felt the area's pressure lessen even more, a sure sign that his enemy was weakening. He evolved his eyes once again to their Eternal Mangekyo state. However, he was still getting used to controlling them. His chakra was being rapidly drained. He would have to finish this quickly.

Lying among the fresh rubble created by the battle, Naruto staggered to his feet. He, too, was rapidly losing chakra. He still had a substantial amount, but he needed to be careful. Suddenly, Sasuke materialized in front of him, Susanoo and all. Before he could react, Naruto was struck once again. Barely staggering to his feet, he felt his strength leaving him. "Agh," he groaned. He was reaching his limit. In desperation, while Sasuke looked for him, he had a Kage Bunshin rush off in Sasuke's direction, buying time. While Sasuke was distracted by the clone, Naruto summoned another and had it rush off and collect Nature Chakra. Naruto knew that the battle was nearing its end. One or both of them was going to hit their limit very soon. In a last-ditch effort, just as Sasuke defeated the clone, Naruto dug into his reserves, fusing his Jinchuriki Mode with Sage Mode once again. He would have to put everything he had into one last attack. He noticed Sasuke's Susanoo evaporating suddenly.

Sasuke, too, was almost done, it seemed. Turning to face the real Naruto, he scowled.

"Looks like this is it," Naruto noted, walking out of the rubble.

"Hmph. Agreed." Sasuke began charging a Chidori, only it turned black, as if he had the Curse Mark active.

Naruto, sensing something strange about the chakra, charged up a Rasengan.

The two charged, each ready for their final clash.

"Narutoooo!"

"Sasukeeeee!"

**_BOOOM!_**

Another explosion of light, chakra, and pure force rocked the area. Tremors were even felt in Konoha, which was a good distance away. Kakashi and Gai's backup squad were knocked out of their perches. When Neji signaled that it was safe, both elder jonin lead the way into the valley. The sight of the battlefield was both terrible and amazing. The ground and walls were torn apart. The statues were heavily damaged. Rubble was everywhere…..And lying in it were two friends, unconscious, but as both Neji and Ino later confirmed, alive. Naruto had done it. He had beaten Sasuke, and was bringing him back to Konoha.

As the team neared the gates, the guards came to meet them. After checking to make sure that it was not a genjutsu, they rushed both Naruto and Sasuke inside. Both needed a good amount of medical attention, so they were sent to the Konoha hospital. Sasuke was kept in one of the high-security rooms the hospital reserved for those criminal ninja who were infirm, while Naruto was given a hero's welcome (again) and placed in one of the best rooms that the hospital had to offer.

"…ruto! Naruto! Wake up!"

Naruto opened his eyes. For someone who wasn't his sister, Sakura sure woke him up a lot. When his eyes adjusted to the light of the room, he was surprised to see all his friends gathered around him. Everyone was there….Except Sasuke.

"Wait!" Naruto yelled. "Where's—"

"Sasuke?" Shikamaru finished for him. He's not here."

"'Not here…?" said Naruto, dejectedly. "You mean I….Failed?"

"No, Naruto. You didn't fail. What Shikamaru meant was simply that Sasuke is in a different room, recovering."

Naruto looked up and was a tad surprised to see Hinata, though the voice had unmistakably been hers. She looked like she had been crying, but otherwise, she looked very happy to see him.

"Oh!" exclaimed Naruto. "Ya mean he….I….?"

Sakura laughed. "Yeah Naruto, you did it. You finally got him back."

"I wanna see him!" responded the jinchuriki.

"Y-you've gotta be kidding!" Kiba retorted. "You wanna go see him? _Now?_ Dude, you've both been out for a week!"

Shikamaru turned to Sakura, saying, "Is he even awake yet?"

"Not yet," she responded. "He's still unconscious. I think that battle took more of a toll on him than on Naruto here."

Neji raised an eyebrow. "I wonder why that is? Not that I wish to argue about medical matters with a Medic, but from my own evaluation, they were equally matched."

"I think I have the answer to that," Naruto offered. "He was using some new form of Sharingan or whatever. Maybe he just didn't know how to control it very well?"

Shino nodded. "Yeah, if you can't control your jutsu very well, whether it's a ninjutsu, genjutsu or dojutsu, it expends more energy than it should. In fact, I think we all know two people who can confirm that," he finished, turning to Neji and Hinata, who both nodded agreement.

"Well, whatever!" Naruto replied. "I wanna go see him anyway!"

"Naruto, you're still injured," started Sakura. "I'm not even sure if you can walk properly right now."

"I _can_ walk! Watch!" exclaimed her overconfident friend, just before stumbling. "Whoops," he said sheepishly as Sakura and Hinata caught him. "Guess not."

Kiba sighed. "Guys, I don't think the knucklehead is gonna take 'no' for an answer. May as well get him a wheelchair."

Within seconds, Ino ran off and came back with a standard-issue hospital wheelchair. Once Naruto was firmly seated, he started calling the charge again.

"Alright! Let's gooo!...Er, could somebody gimme a push? I dunno how to get around in one of these by myself."

Sakura, who had the notion that pushing someone in a wheelchair could be a romantic thing, turned to Hinata. "Hey Hinata, do you wanna….?"

Her shy friend shook her head gently. "If he's going to go see Sasuke, he should go with you. You two know him best; but others like me, and everyone else…..We really have no reason to go see him. It would just make the situation awkward."

Sakura just stared at her white-eyed friend for a moment. That was not the answer she had expected. Was she really alright with having another girl wheel Naruto around?

"And besides," Hinata continued. "You and Ino are the only Medics here. Even if I went with him, what if something happened? I would just waste time getting help, while either of you could treat him on the spot. However, what I said previously rules Ino out….No offense," she finished, turning to her purple-clad friend, who responded with a nonchalant shrug.

"Alright," Sakura said finally. "That alright with you, Naruto?"

"Uh, personally it doesn't really matter to me, but I guess Hinata's right. Heh, that was kinda cool, actually." the jinchuriki replied, grinning.

Caught off-guard by the compliment, Hinata turned beet-red and fell silent, at which Naruto laughed. "Haha! Hinata, you crack me up….Alright, c'mon! He might wake up soon!"

As they neared the room, Sakura stopped.

"Hey, what's up?" Naruto inquired, looking up.

Sakura looked like she was going to cry. Naruto couldn't tell whether she was happy, sad, frustrated or scared….Perhaps maybe a fusion of two or more. "Hey," he said, reaching up to dry her falling tears. "He's in there, alive, ain't he?"

"Y-yeah," she managed. "But…But after all this time….What if he's not—"

"Not the Sasuke we knew? Of course he isn't. That would be really weird. After all, it's not like we haven't changed, right Sakura?"

The young kunoichi managed a smile. "I…I guess you're right," she finally said.

"Although….If you really need some bit of familiarity…I'm still a big goofball," he said jabbing a thumb back at himself. "Sasuke is….Well, I'm pretty sure he's still just Sasuke," he continued, nodding at the door. "And Sakura….You….You're still kind of a crybaby," he finished, grinning up at his emotional friend.

"Am not!" she retorted, growing slightly irate. Why was Naruto antagonizing her now, of all times?

"There, now there's the Sakura I know from recently! The one who got stronger from years of training with Granny! You can handle this. I'll be right there with you, so don't worry. I know what you're thinking; you wanted to help me bring him back. But the thing is, Sakura….I only brought his_body_ back here. I still need your help to convince him to _stay_."

Sakura was smiling again. Perhaps this is what Hinata found so lovable about Naruto. Sakura couldn't really blame her, though her own heart was with Sasuke. The two friends checked in with the guard, and entered the room slowly.

"Naruto…." came their friend's voice. "And Sakura, too. Your timing is pretty good. I just woke up." He still sounded as cold and arrogant as ever, although he had a softer tone than they were recently used to. It was almost like talking to him when they were kids again.

"So, Sasuke," Naruto said, grinning at his friend. "Whatcha gonna do now? I beat you, just like I said I would!"

"Ugh, he's still as obnoxious as ever," thought Sasuke, glaring in return.

"Sasuke," Sakura said with a concerned look. "I need you to tell us right now- are you still with the Akatsuki?"

"Heh," the young avenger scoffed. "My loyalty to them ended the day Naruto and I fought Tobi."

"Then what's with the cloak?" replied Sakura.

"All part of the costume," replied Sasuke flatly.

"Wait, 'costume'?" asked Naruto, credulously. "What do ya mean, 'costume'?"

"It's simple, loser," replied his captured friend. "I wasn't really going to raze Konoha. Ever."

At this, Sakura was shocked. "But we heard you told Tobi—"

"Yeah, I told _Tobi_," replied Sasuke, cutting her off. "A move otherwise known as 'telling the enemy what they _want_ to hear.'"

Naruto closed his eyes until they looked vulpine, a common indicator that he was confused. "Wait, he was your enemy the whole time?"

"Yeah," said Sasuke. "This time it's not your fault you didn't know, but…..He helped in the Massacre. He helped kill my clan. He's someone I want to kill."

Sakura sighed in relief. "Well, I don't think anyone will object to that!" she said.

"One problem, though," the raven-haired Uchiha replied. "Or make that two."

Naruto leaned in closer. "What, what? What's wrong?"

Sasuke's eyes darkened. "He's not the only one. I still have two targets within the village."

Both of his old friends looked utterly shocked.

"_Still_?" yelled Naruto.

"Yes," confirmed Sasuke. "Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, the remaining Village Elders. They, along with Shimura Danzo, who I've already killed, ordered the Massacre. They overrode the Third Hokage in a vote….And they'll pay."

"Sasuke…" Sakura said, looking both disappointed and afraid in the face of his hatred. Neither she nor Sasuke expected what Naruto would say next.

"So? So what if that happened, if it did? What's that got to do with anything?"

"What the _hell_ are you talking about, you moron?" Sasuke shouted back at Naruto. "I have to kill them! I have to….To avenge my clan!"

"And _then_ what? Say you killed them! _Then_ what? What are you going to do?"

"I…." started Sasuke. He had never really thought it out before. If he killed Mitokado and Utatane first, he could never hope for any sort of Konoha assistance against Tobi. If he went after Tobi alone, he would probably die if Tobi saw no reason to spare him.

"…You can't think of _anything_, can you? Well?"

"Naruto…." Sakura warned.

"Tch," spat Sasuke. "I'll think of something eventually."

"Oh really? Retorted the jinchuriki. "Sasuke, what good is there in revenge for revenge's sake?"

"It's not for it's own sake!" Sasuke screamed.

"Then why? Tell me that much; why are you doing and saying all these crazy things, then?"

"I….They…..My family is dead. They have to…."

Naruto's eyes darkened. "My family is dead, too, Sasuke. Now I know what it's like to receive the love of a mother and a father….Even for a short while. I even know who killed 'em. But you know what, Sasuke?"

"What?" his friend demanded. "If I were to seek vengeance on the person, just because I hated them, my parents wouldn't be happy. They would want me to let go, to live life. They would want me to be happy, to become a hero, to protect the things they loved. They would want me to have friends, to have a family of my own someday. And I think _your_ parents would think the same way."

"What are you—" Sasuke started, but Naruto wasn't finished yet.

"What I mean is, you're not doing this _for_ anyone. You're not pleasing anyone with all this 'vengeance'. Well, no one except for Tobi, maybe. Because then you become his pawn against Konoha; and when you try to kill _him_ you can't, because you won't be strong enough alone. Do you think your parents wanted you to be a pawn, Sasuke?"

Sasuke was taken aback. Naruto wasn't sounding like himself. He wasn't the goofy, slightly-emotional kid he knew, or even the version that had walked into the room. This Naruto….Was different.

"I….I…" Sasuke stuttered.

Sakura was amazed. Quiet as he used to be, it was unlike Sasuke to be at a loss for words. That was usually Hinata's quirk.

Naruto continued, "And if you've _gotta _blame somebody, why the Elders? Why not that Tobi guy? Wasn't he the one that attacked the village twice with the Kyubi? That Massacre you keep talking about…..Yeah it's a bad thing, I'm not saying anything about that, but….Did you ever stop and think about _why_ it happened? You would probably know that better then me or anyone else!"

Naruto was right. Sasuke really hadn't thought it through. Tobi attacked the village with the Fox, which in turn caused the village to fear Uchiha for the Mangekyo's power. The village feared them, which caused them to be mistreated. Their mistreatment angered the clan, which led to the attempted coup. The attempted coup led to the Massacre. It all seemed so simple….And yet….

"What you're saying…..Is pretty much true. When you look at it with your reasoning, Tobi was the root cause of the fall of the Uchiha. However," Sasuke said, leveling his eyes with Naruto's. "Are you saying Konoha is not to blame at all?"

"Of course not!" came his reply. "The village was wrong to treat you guys that way, but what's in the past is in the past. Getting revenge….It's not like it'll bring your clan back. It's not like it'll make anything easier for those that aren't with us anymore. And it _definitely_ won't make things easier for any future Uchiha, will it?"

"So, what are you saying? That I should forgive Konoha for the suffering of my clan?"

Sakura looked at Naruto, intently listening for his reply. The conversation had gotten very intense, and she was amazed at Naruto's maturity and wisdom.

He managed to surprise her yet again. "Whether you forgive Konoha or not is your business, your choice. I'll never forgive that Nagato, or Pein, or whatever his name was, for what he did to the village, to Pervy Sage…..And to everyone else he's hurt. But I don't hate him. I only fought him because the village was in trouble, and I would've had to eventually anyway. Likewise, I'll never forgive you, Sasuke, for leaving like you did. You hurt a lot of people that day…..Mostly me, Sakura here, and Kakashi-sensei. I don't think that's something the three of us will ever really recover from. But I don't hate you, either. I'm just glad you're back."

"I don't have to forgive them, as long as I don't hate them…..Is that what you're saying, Naruto?" came the reply.

"Yeah, exactly. Some things….Some things are unforgivable. I dunno, maybe there's someone wiser than me who even knows how to forgive things like what happened to Pervy Sage, or what happened to our families. But you don't have to hate them. In fact, you shouldn't. Look at what hate does, Sasuke. Pein hated the world and war, and look what he ended up doing. Tobi apparently hated Konoha, and look what happened. Your clan was murdered for it. Hate….Revenge…..They're the same thing, Sasuke. They're a cycle. If someone kills somebody you care about, and you take revenge for 'em…..Wouldn't someone close to them just try to kill you because of that? And what if they kill you? Then someone else who cared about you will probably try to kill them. Same thing, different people. It's a cycle, but more than that….It's a disease. You have to fight it, Sasuke. You can't let it run your life!"

Sasuke was stunned. All this time, all he cared about was soothing his own pain, even if it meant inflicting it on others. However, Naruto was right. Itachi had killed his clan, so he killed Itachi. Later, when he tried to capture Killer Bee, he ignited the Raikage's wrath. When he killed Danzo, he became a wanted criminal in Konoha. There was no end. The stunned silence was broken by the guard's gruff voice.

"Hey you kids, I know you're having a deep conversation or whatever, but your time's almost up. I suggest you wrap it up for today. Yer friend ain't going anywhere anytime soon."

Naruto turned to Sasuke. "Think about it, alright? About what I said. I'll be back tomorrow."

Sasuke was silent. However, as Sakura started to wheel Naruto to the door, Sasuke suddenly spoke up.

"Naruto….Thank you."

Naruto simply looked over his shoulder at him and smiled. "Heh, anytime! I'll still be back tomorrow, though!"

Despite this happy turn of events, however, the trip back to Naruto's room was quiet. He said nothing to Sakura, and she said nothing to him. He was tired. Lecturing Sasuke like that had taken a lot of energy somehow. Sakura, on the other hand, was still stunned and impressed with what Naruto had said. When they returned to his now-empty room, she decided to ask where all that had come from.

"Naruto?"

She was greeted with a snore. Her old friend had fallen asleep on the way, and by now was probably dreaming of Team 7 together again…..Or ramen. He did love that stuff. She gently lifted him into his bed and tucked him in.

"I'll just ask him when he wakes up," she decided. "Naruto…..You never cease to amaze me," she thought, turning to smile at the young jinchuriki squirming into a more comfortable position. "You'll make a great Hokage someday."

Right at that moment, Tsunade was busy issuing orders in her office.

"Shizune!"

As if awaiting her cue to appear, her assistant entered the office.

"Yes, milady?" she inquired.

"Inform the other villages that, now that we've confirmed that Uchiha Sasuke's capture is not a pretense by the Akatsuki or similar, we should hold another Gokage Summit (A/N: Literally "Five-Kage Summit") to decide his fate."

"But milady," protested Shizune, "Isn't Sasuke a Konoha matter? That judgment should be yours alone to make !"

"I wish that were so," responded the eternally-youthful Hokage, "But since he is currently an international criminal and a former member of the Akatsuki, I'm afraid I must include the opinions and judgments of the other Kage."

"Very well," Shizune replied, bowing her head. "I'll send out messages immediately."

"Suna currently has better relations with Iwa than we do, so send them a message first, asking for their help talking to Iwa, alright, Shizune?"

"Yes, ma'am!" came the reply.

Little did either of them know, Suna had its own problems….

* * *

Ooh, cliffhanger! Rate and review, please!


	5. Siege!

All canon characters= Kishimoto's

Amaya, Sora and Sakuraba= mine

* * *

Chapter 5- Siege!

Sure enough, while the Godaime Hokage had her discussion with her attendant, the Godaime Kazekage had a much direr meeting with his own chief attendants, his own older siblings.

"So," began Gaara, settling into his office chair and interlacing his fingers. "If our intelligence is accurate, we are dealing with a force of several hundred, of unknown origin?" he asked in his gravelly voice.

"Yeah," confirmed his older brother Kankuro, as their elder sister Temari simply looked on. "Sis here flew out and saw them herself after we received the report; and she's confirmed that they don't look like anything or anyone we've ever seen."

"And they're definitely hostile," added Temari. "The second they noticed me, they tried to knock me out of the air," she said, gingerly touching the bandage on her cheek, which covered the wound made by an enemy's kunai when it grazed her. Her fan, which doubled as both her shield and lifesaver during the morning's recon mission, had fortunately only incurred minor damage due to being made of iron, so her injury ended up being the worst of it.

"Hmm," Gaara said, closing his eyes.

Kankuro began to feel uneasy. His brother was no longer a murderous maniac; that was for sure, but given that his eyelids were solid black in color from years spent without sleep, whenever he closed his eyes he took on the more-than-unsettling appearance of not having eyes at all. Temari quickly elbowed the painted ninja in the arm when she noticed him staring at their brother. Finally, Gaara spoke up.

"Alright, then. Kankuro, you and I will lead an attack force comprised of our best available troops, along with a few lower-ranked ninja, to create a rounded unit. If they do not retreat, we will engage."

"Gaara," their sister started. "While I was out there, I noticed something a bit….strange."

Both brothers turned to her.

"This is going to sound _crazy_, but…..I don't think most of the enemy troops are even _alive_," she continued. "I dunno, I'm not a sensory ninja, but I got this weird _feeling_ from them. I didn't sense life…..It's almost like the army is comprised of Edo Tensei zombies, except those are more lively. In fact, an inert set of puppets give me more of a sense of liveliness than that bunch outside."

Gaara continued to stare at her, silently contemplating what this could mean, while Kankuro challenged her observation.

"What? That's nuts, Sis! How can they be laying siege to our village without even being alive? We've lost a buncha messenger birds recently to their kunai, and we can't even send a messenger ninja out because they might end up injured like the last few," he argued, "So are you saying that a buncha corpses are doing this to us? We can't even call for help from Konoha, and they're the ones we've got the best relationship with!"

Temari grew irate. It wasn't so much that he was challenging her observation; she could be wrong. However, she felt like he was taking it a little far by bringing Konoha into their argument. She didn't have to be reminded that they were cut off from what could be called her second home. It had been that way for a few weeks now. She had managed to return home just in time for the siege to start half a month earlier. What was Konoha doing? Didn't they find the sudden lack of communications from Suna even a _little_ suspicious? And for that matter, what about Shikamaru? Last time she spoke to him, he and his team were helping to finalize repairs in the restaurant and commercial districts of Konoha. They had started sending each other letters weekly when they were apart after the war; something that had become a highlight in her busy schedule when she was at home. She had missed her sending deadlines for several weeks now. Wasn't he even a little worried? Then again, she was fairly moody at times, so he probably chalked it up to simply not wanting to talk or something stupid like that. He liked to think he could "read" people, or "figure them out." He was arrogant like that sometimes. Like he knew what she was thinking. However, the same could be said about her, even in that moment. It's not like she was able to receive any of his letters to confirm or deny her suspicions, anyway. For all she knew, he was worried sick but expressing it in his letters.

"If you don't believe me," she said coldly, "Go see for yourself. They moved fairly slowly when I was out there, so as long as you take Salamander you should be alright. There are a lot of them, though, remember that."

Finally, Gaara spoke up. "That…is actually a good idea," he said with his usual calm demeanor. "Kankuro, I want you to lead a team of your choice on a recon mission into the enemy camp."

Kankuro pumped his fist. "Heh, finally I get some action! Alright!"

Gaara quickly cut off any further celebration, saying, "However, Kankuro, you must not engage the enemy alone. As you likely know, an efficient reconnaissance unit is much too small to combat a force of that magnitude. If they discover you, _run_."

"Ha," Kankuro responded. "Don't worry about it! I got this," he said, turning to leave the office.

"Just come home safe," said Temari. "I almost lost both of my little brothers once," she said, "I don't want to go through _that_ ever again, even if it's only one this time. You got that?"

"Jeez," came the blithe reply. "Always with the intense speeches. I told ya, I got this. I'll come back, you'll see!"

After leaving the office of the Kazekage, Kankuro ordered all unoccupied but able-bodied ninja to form ranks in the central plaza of the village. There were few jonin and chunin, most of whom were either otherwise occupied or absent for one reason or other, be it infirmity or having been cut off from the village due to the siege. He picked one chunin and one jonin, a combat specialist and a stealth ops specialist respectively. Then he turned to the genin. Most of them were the usual type- young teens and almost-teens with rather unimpressive skills, though with massive potential. He did not feel anything distinctly "special" about any of them, however…Until he saw her.

There was one girl among the genin, standing apart from the rest. She was scrawny, but otherwise looked healthy. Her long, dark brown hair looked strangely wet, as if she had just stepped out of the shower. Her clothes resembled Gaara's, except black where his brother's outfit was a deep red. She looked like she was trying desperately to make herself seem smaller, though it was futile. Kankuro could easily tell she was much taller than the other genin. Perhaps she was merely tall for her age? Then again, that would be a bit of a stretch, given the sheer difference between her height and that of the average genin.

Intrigued, Kankuro approached her. After all, he had the time to. It's not like the enemies were going to attack anytime soon. He'd already be fighting them if that were the case. This girl was starting to look suspicious anyway- doubtlessly, something was amiss. His shock was furthered and suspicions deepened as he came to where she was standing. Her "Gaara" costume was missing one crucial element: the gourd. In fact, at a glance, she lacked any means of carrying weapons at all. Unless she carried some in her clothes, which he highly doubted, she was completely unarmed. Yet, there was a Suna insignia plate installed on her vest. Finally, after several seconds of making her feel uncomfortable, Kankuro addressed her.

"You," he said gruffly, for he was still suspicious, "Standing away from the other genin. What's your name?"

She glanced around wildly, nearly panicking. "M-me?" the wary girl squeaked.

"Yeah, you, dark-hair. And stand up straight!" he commanded.

With that, she bolted upright. At full stature, she was about Gaara's height. In fact, there were several resemblances between this girl and a young Gaara, particularly her eyes- fearful eyes, though deep blue in color as opposed to Gaara's teal, full of lonliness and sadness, and paradoxically weary, as if she, like he, was growing tired of dealing with the world at large.

"A-Amaya," she stammered, beginning to examine her sandals. "It's Amaya."

Kankuro continued to present her with his stony façade. He kept sensing something like Gaara in this girl, engendering some degree of sympathy. However, he also bore in mind that she was still highly suspicious. Gaara's condition was a unique one; so why did this girl seem so much like him?

"Alright, 'Amaya'," he said. "Come on. You're the final member of my unit. Everyone else, you're dismissed!" he said, waving the others away ignoring the grumbles of the other genin.

"_M-Me?_" she asked, almost shouting. Either she was not confident in her abilities, or he had found a spy. Either way, he would keep an eye on her. He had wasted enough time as it was; it was time to head out now that he'd scraped together a basic four-man unit.

Team Kankuro, freshly christened, met at the village gate. Kankuro began to brief them on the mission details.

"Alright people, you all know what we're doing here. We'll be heading into enemy territory to gather intel. Our orders are to get in and get out…._Without_ engaging the enemy if we can help it. I chose you two," he said, gesturing to the chunin and the jonin, "because I know that you'd be good picks for this." Then he turned to Amaya. "You," he continued, "I chose because I got a really good feeling about you at first glance."

She remained silent and even blushed a little. Why was he being so nice all of a sudden? Her abilities usually just got her into trouble. And this was the Kazekage's own brother she was talking to. He looked a little scary with his war paint on, but he was one of the most eligible bachelors of the village after his younger brother. What did he see in her?

"If everyone's ready," he continued, "And if we can stop _daydreaming_, Amaya," he said, snapping his fingers impatiently in front of her eyes, "We're gonna head out. Radio silence is the rule, unless you absolutely _need_ to say something."

They did not expect what they found as they came out of the gate. Which is to say, they didn't find _anything_. The supposed enemy camp didn't seem to exist anymore. The desert directly in front of the gate, which had been crowding with enemies previously, was completely vacant.

"Proceed with caution," ordered Kankuro. "Split up into pairs. One stealth specialist with one combat specialist. We'll cover more ground that way." He pointed at the jonin, a kunoichi, "Sora, you're the best at stealth on our team. Go with Sakuraba here. He's good at combat, but he's not so great at stealth. Amaya, you're with me. I'll do combat, you do stealth."

His subordinates simply nodded, and Sora and her shinobi (A/N: kunoichi = female, shinobi = male. Sakuraba's a guy) partner zipped to the far side of the sector to commence their mission. Splitting up the team turned up to be a bad idea, however….Especially when the sand lept to life around them.

**FWSSSSH!**

All of a sudden, Kankuro and Amaya were surrounded. Even with the aid of Salamander, Kankuro could tell there was no escape. The circle encompassing them was several layers thick. At best, it would take the Salamander a long time to breach the line, and he'd have to avoid using Crow and Black Ant to expedite the process in order to conserve chakra. They had been ordered not to fight, but now they had no choice. Summoning the Crow, Kankuro immediately began barking orders again.

"Hey, Amaya! Get ready!"

Suddenly, one of the enemies charged when Kankuro seemed to let his guard down. Temari had been right after all- even as Kankuro used Crow's blades to shred the body of his assailant, he did not feel the usual tension that he felt when he cut living flesh. He was essentially fighting a zombie. However, he also felt the presence of foreign chakra in the corpse- Puppet-Master Jutsu. He looked over at Amaya to check on her, but ended up regretting it.

Survival instinct and what seemed to be bloodlust had taken her over. Her eyes were opened wide, almost eerily so, staring singly at the blood flying from the first corpse-puppet. If Kankuro hadn't known better from being Gaara's older brother, even he would've been terrified. He didn't get much time to think it over, however, as the entire circle lunged at them. Kankuro took out as many as he could, but it was still not enough. However, he was yet again surprised to see them freeze and stop attacking. What was going on? Are they playing with him? And how are his other teammates doing?

Suddenly, the outermost blood vessels and veins of one of the zombie-puppets began to pulsate and bulge. Then it happened. A pulse of chakra from Amaya's general direction, and all around them, the corpse-puppets began to burst into cascades of blood and innards. This continued for a short while, until a floating mass of blood made itself apparent. Kankuro watched in a mixture of horror and awe as the crimson mass arced and raced; cutting through the enemy and gaining in power and mass with each "kill". He looked back at her, wondering how she was doing it, but his worst fear was confirmed- she was on autopilot. Her survival instinct, while a necessary trait in any self-respecting ninja, also made apparent her killer instinct. He only hoped her subconscious saw him as a friend. As she massacred the enemy force, Kankuro, who still had Crow active, felt a change in the chakra tension. Whoever was pulling the proverbial and literal strings in this attack was growing frustrated.

Sora and Sakuraba also made fair progress against their enemies. They arrived at the same conclusion as Kankuro, and finished a few minutes after Amaya's singlehanded slaughter of the enemies attacking her and Kankuro, their progress aided by the fact that whoever was maneuvering the corpses was concentrating on Kankuro and Amaya. They turned in horror to see a large mass of some crimson liquid, probably blood, hovering in the air as their captain shook the youngest member of the team to her senses.

"I _knew_ it was a bad idea to let that cursed kid onto the team," growled Sora. "Kankuro-taicho is gonna be in trouble really soon."

Sakuraba, who normally didn't speak much, simply nodded in grave agreement as they raced back to their teammates.

"Amaya! Hey! Snap out of it!" yelled Kankuro. He'd seen what happened when someone with this sort of power was pushed away, as he now suspected she was. What happens when they are isolated….To the point of madness. He was _not_ letting that happen again. He was running out of time. He felt his own blood pressure beginning to rise.

Suddenly, she came to. "Agh," she groaned, almost groggily.

Suddenly, the blood blob fell from the sky.

**FWOOSHH!**

Kankuro and Amaya were both drenched. It was a horrible sensation, one that most sane people dread. What didn't help was that this blood was warm from hovering in the sunlight, making it feel as if it were freshly drained from a body.

"Waugh!" Kankuro yelped, as Amaya simply stood silent, staring at her hands.

She had actually did it- she had somehow extracted all this blood, and seeing as there was so much and there were no longer any enemies, she correctly assumed that it was her doing. The scary thing was, she had no idea just _how_ she did it. The last thing she remembered was the enemy charging, and the fact that she had blacked out. But now, here she was, standing in front of her captain, with both them and their immediate surroundings bathed in hideous blood.

"S-sorry! Sorry!" she shouted as she quickly coaxed the blood away from them and kneeling before him. "I'm _so_ sorry, Kankuro-sama! I-I didn't mean to-"

The jonin shocked her by gently placing his hand atop her head. "Hey, what's up? Your legs give out? Othewise, you shouldn't be kneeling like that."

"B-but…." she managed.

Kankuro lifted her to her feet. "C'mon, up ya go. Is that your ability? Is that what you do?" Amaya just stared at him, at a loss for words. She wondered if he had injured his head, given that he was the first person not to react to her hellish ability with some degree of fear or malice. She had just manipulated blood in full view of him, and yet the only reaction he had was a positive one. He grinned at her. "Oh hey, thanks for getting the blood off. I gotta admit, that was a little freaky," he began, apparently confirming her worst fear, as tears began to stream down her face.

"Kankuro-sama….." she trailed off.

"But that's a pretty useful ability. Mind if I ask you a few questions about it when we get back to the village?"

He laughed when her expression changed from one of despair to a quizzical one. "Haha, there's nothing to be ashamed of. My little brother can do similar, after all. Anyway, enough talk, already. Can I trust you to help me look for the guy who was controlling them?

They didn't have to look far. He found them.

The entire team turned around, sensing some ominous presence. There, standing a distance away from them was a looming figure- a masked man, with unkempt black hair and black irises on red sclera, standing at around six feet with a strong build, dressed in a sinister black cloak. This cloak was no Akatsuki cloak, being pure black in color and lacking any sort of emblazonment save the crimson hem that it and Akatsuki cloaks shared. The headband was even stranger. The metal plate was as black as darkness itself, and the purple hue of the cloth brought to mind Orochimaru and Otogakure, the Village Hidden in Sound. Whoever this man was, _what_ever he was, he was no ally.

He didn't wait for their questions. In a flash, he violently launched Chakra Threads into Sora and Sakuraba, proceeding to yank on them and throw them a fair distance away, all while overloading their bodies with chakra, though only enough to incapacitate them. It was down to Kankuro and Amaya again. The figure stood before them and spoke in a scratchy voice befitting an older man.

"I am Jiro of Sunagakure, the Puppetmaster Scourge of the Desert! You children…..Normally I'd play with you a little more, but you might prove problematic," he said, looking pointedly at Amaya. "So I'm afraid I'll have to destroy you outright!" He raised his hands, palms facing his enemies, and they began to generate chakra tendrils. Just as suddenly, the threads vanished, and something akin to a harpoon blasted out of his torso region, aimed right at Kankuro. Almost immediately, the sound of metal piercing flesh could be heard, along with a pained grunt.

**SHNK!**

"Ghrk!"

Amaya stood between Jiro and Kankuro with her hands clapped together and firmly pressed in place. In the time it took to blink, she had taken the hit for Kankuro, being pierced all the way through. She managed to use her own blood to sprout a Water Prison from her back to prevent the odd weapon from moving any further. However, that was exactly what the evil shinobi had wanted.

"There," he said, sneering behind his mask, "Now you won't be able to hinder me, will you, little girl?"

It was true. The bizarre weapon had pierced her lung; filling it with blood, which she coughed up. She couldn't afford to stop the bleeding, however; as literally all her power was focused on preventing the spear-like weapon from piercing Kankuro as well.

Getting over the shock of the moment, Kankuro wasted no time. His new friend had given him the perfect opportunity to counterattack. He summoned the Black Ant and another Crow, and entered into a stance with the puppets surrounding him. Launching them at Jiro, he yelled, "Black Secret Technique: Modified Machine One Shot!" While the Ant swallowed Jiro, leaving an opening for the spear, the Crows disassembled and impaled him several times. Kankuro even repeated the stabbing step several more times with the different openings just to make certain. What happened next was incredibly disturbing, befitting the apparent theme of the day. Just as suddenly as it was launched, the spear-like weapon retracted, ripping itself out of Amaya's severely-weakened body, prompting her to scream in anguish, which turned to a pained gurgle as she spewed more blood. Kankuro opened the Black Ant to check on his enemy, but he was surprised to see his opponent literally melting. It was like fighting Deidara of the Akatsuki, or more accurately his Clay Bunshins, all over again, judging by the clay-like nature of the mass he was melting into.

"Ha….Haha….Hahahahahahahahaha!" Jiro began to laugh maniacally. "You kids…You aren't half bad! We'll meet again!" And with that, the body which was thought to belong to Jiro of Sunagakure melted into a featureless mush and evaporated, leaving only the cloak and headband behind.

Noticing that reinforcements were en route, Kankuro disengaged his chakra threads. Pushing Jiro out of his mind, he ran to Amaya. She was his first concern; the apparent missing-nin could wait. He knelt by Amaya's side, as she lay in the sand, barely conscious.

"Kankuro-sama…." she whispered faintly. "Did we…win?"

"Yeah," he responded, trying to hold back as many of the tears as he could. "Now quit talking. We're getting you medical attention, _now_." He forced her to eat a Blood- Increasing Pill to compensate for the blood loss, and began to race to the Suna hospital with the dying girl in his arms. They had field medics at the scene, but her injury was much too great for them to handle. She'd just have to be moved anyway, possibly with fatal consequences. He was _not_ letting that happen.

Coming out of the gate leading a troop of reinforcements, Temari was shocked to see her brother barreling toward them at top speed, the front of his tunic drenched in blood, carrying a girl that looked to be Gaara's age.

"Move!" was the only word he had to offer.

Needless to say, Temari and her unit complied.

The surgery to save Amaya's life took hours. Kankuro paced the hallway like a father waiting to hear of his child's birth. Even the news that his puppets were safely in storage and that there was nothing amiss outside did little to console him. He was eventually convinced to sit down, but not without his share of fidgeting. Kankuro hated hospitals. The last time he was in one, he was half-dead himself. In fact, if it wasn't for that Konoha kunoichi, the pink-haired one, he might've died then. Now he was on the other side of the O.R. door, anxiously awaiting news of his friend's fate. He asked himself why he cared so much. After all, for all intents and purposes, she was a total stranger. However, there was the fact that she just sacrificed her life for his. He would never forgive himself if she died. It didn't help that she was a lot like Gaara. In fact, he was sure Gaara would've done the exact same thing, except Gaara had the use of sand, which would've made the task much easier.

A familiar voice broke his reverie.

"Hey, little brother. Got room for one more?"

He looked up to see his older sister standing there, looking mildly concerned. She had with her one of his spare tunics, with a matching pair of pants.

"Heh, so ya noticed this, huh? Here," she said, holding it out for him to take, "You should change clothes. People are getting a little freaked out."

Kankuro blinked. He had been convinced he had already changed clothes, but looking down, he noticed that he actually hadn't, and the amount of blood caked onto his tunic and pants from earlier that day truly was rather off-putting, even to himself. Gladly accepting the change of clothes, he stood.

"Thanks, Sis. Hey, can I ask you to stay here? I dunno when they're gonna finish. You just need to stay here until-"

"Until when? I don't have anywhere to go. Gaara will be here shortly. He said he needed to check something. And don't worry, our Intelligence unit is already investigating that Jiro guy."

At this, Kankuro just gave a small grin. "Thanks," he said. "Oh, and speaking of….You were right about the enemy, after all," he said, quietly.

As he entered the men's restroom, Temari stared at his back. Admitting he was wrong was one thing, but it wasn't like Kankuro to be so quiet. After a bit of thought, she reassured herself, thinking, "It stands to reason; what happened today was pretty messed up."

About half an hour later, an exhausted medic came out of the O.R..

"Kankuro-sama," he said, noticing Kankuro.

"Well? How is she?" he demanded.

The medic stepped back. "Sh-she's safe, sir," he managed. "Her condition has stabilized; so there is no mortal peril. She still needs to heal, though."

By now Kankuro had removed his paint, but he was still just as intimidating. Breathing a sigh of relief, the black-clad shinobi slumped down next to his sister.

"Yeesh," she teased. "You'd think, with the way you're reacting, that she was your _girlfriend_ or something." When Kankuro didn't reply, she tapped him with the handheld fan she often caried. "H-hey, I was only teasing," she said. "You okay?"

"I dunno," he said. "I mean, I'm fine, sure, but I just can't stop worrying about her. Hey Sis, you're the smart one in the family- Is there something wrong up here?" he asked, pointing at his head.

Temari only hoped he meant his mind, as little brother or not, she was not about to rummage through that nest he called hair. "Probably not," she reassured him, "But perhaps someone has a crush…?" she asked, slyly.

"Gargh!" he yelled. "What're you talking about? I _just_ met her! How can I-"

"Be quiet, this is a hospital. And I was still half-teasing that time. Honestly, though, think about it, alright? What's keeping Gaara, anyway?"

Just then, as if cued, the youngest of the Sand Siblings made his appearance, with a serious expression on his face.

"Brother," he said gravely. "We need to talk. _Now._"

* * *

So, how was it? R&R as always!


	6. Cursed Children of the Sand!

And part 2 of the Suna saga! I still don't own Naruto, just so everyone knows.

* * *

Chapter 6- Cursed Children of the Sand….!

Temari looked at her younger brother uneasily. Gaara looked like he was either really angry, or something was seriously wrong. Besides that, he hadn't taken this tone with Kankuro in over four years.

"Come to my office," he ordered them. "There's something odd about that girl you saved, Kankuro."

"Like what?" his older brother retorted.

"Like she apparently doesn't exist," said Gaara coldly. "Come to my office and I'll explain." With that, the Kazekage dissolved into sand. A Sand Bunshin. The real Gaara was already in his office.

By the time his older siblings entered his office, Gaara was sitting at his desk, while he and his assistant Matsuri skimmed through the dossiers of all of Suna's ninja.

"Absolutely nothing," Gaara commented. "There's nothing on an 'Amaya' of any sort. Not even an Academy Graduation Certificate. Matsuri and I have been looking ever since your battle earlier today. We've checked and rechecked each filing cabinet, every file. Nothing."

Kankuro looked frustrated. "Well, then check again! You guys must've missed _something_!"

Matsuri bowed apologetically to him as she closed the file she was scanning through. I'm sorry, Kankuro-sama, but we've checked each file a minimum of three times each. There's no way we could have missed it."

"Then get those old fogeys together! You know, that council that convenes in times of emergency! Under you, aren't they the heads of this village, Gaara? I dunno, they gotta know _something_, right?"

"Very well," his brother said, almost exasperatedly. "I shall do just that. Matsuri, if you wouldn't mind, could you put these files away before joining us?"

"Yessir!" the girl exclaimed. "Don't worry about a thing, Gaara-sama! Leave it to me!"

As this was occurring in the Kazekage's room, another "one who did not exist" was gearing up for active duty. She had missed the war, missed the siege, but now that she had recovered, she felt ready for anything. Getting dressed in a grey t-shirt with the sleeves crudely torn off and some rectangular design in the middle, as well as black sweatpants that reached to her claves, she checked herself in the mirror. Her outfit looked not unlike that of a Konoha ANBU, only minus the fact that she wore a shirt rather than a vest, as well as the lack of a mask. Sweeping some of her messy, neck-length black hair away from her cheeks, she tied her headband in place on her forehead where it belonged. She had largely feline features: a rounded face, cat-like eyes, and rather small hands. Her skin had an olive tone to it, the only thing about her besides her hair and clothing choice that didn't scream "cat". She made a few goofy faces at herself in the mirror. Her teeth were a nice, bright shade of white, but her canines, which she preferred to call "fangs", bothered her. It's not that they were dull, but rather that the top two were rather long for her tastes. Whenever her mouth was closed, one or both of them always ended up poking out. She stared at her right cheek for a few seconds. Diagonal blue claw marks, three of them, were tattooed on either cheek, the middle ones pointing to her mouth on one end while pointing to her ears at the other, with the other two running parallel; the mark of her clan.

A clan which no longer seemed to exist.

She was traumatized when it happened. A couple weeks before the planned invasion of Konoha, she had been awoken by her father shaking her in her bed one night.

"Mimi, Mimi! Wake up!" he had said.

Unsure of what was happening, she had yawned and allowed him to drag her out from under the warm covers. It _was_ her father, after all. He probably knew what he was doing. She vaguely remembered him telling her something important, but she must've fallen asleep, because the very next memory she had was waking up on the cold floor of her room, completely alone except for her strange little housecat, Tama. Her clan, the Tomoneko, had vanished entirely, seemingly overnight. After going into and waking from a coma over the trauma, Mimi had found herself unable to perform ninja tasks. Even basic ones such as using jutsu eluded her. Therefore, she temporarily dropped out of the ninja program until she could get her issues sorted out. That had been over four years ago. She had missed major battles. People she knew had died. She got stronger as fast as she could- back to where she was before her family disappeared, and beyond. But she still needed to be put on a squad. There was no way she could continue improving at any decent rate by herself. So she made an appointment with the Kazekage's assistant. Today was the day; the day she became a ninja again. For those that died, for her clan….For herself….She had to do this.

"Come on, Tama. Let's go see the Kazekage!"

By the time Mimi arrived at the Kazekage's office, she found Matsuri, with whom she had scheduled her appointment, running back and forth between the Kazekage's office and another, larger room.

"Hiya!" Mimi greeted an obviously-stressed Matsuri. "I'm here for my—"

"Not now, sorry," said Matsuri, cutting the other girl off.

"B-but! My appointment…!"

"Something came up," replied the other girl. "An emergency. The Kazekage is currently in a meeting. In fact, I need to go fetch some documents, so if you'll excuse me—" She stopped short when she turned around to look at Mimi. What she had thought was a scarf was glaring at her. It was unmistakably a cat, and it looked very angry.

"Hsss," uttered Tama.

Mimi didn't look any friendlier, so Matsuri conceded.

"Oh, alright. You can follow me into the conference room if you help me with these papers," she said exasperatedly while stacking forms on the desk. "You can manage that, right?"

"Yay!" came the enthusiastic reply. "So I just follow you around with them when ya leave the room, right?"

Matsuri merely nodded in response.

By the time the girls returned to the conference room, it was quite a scene. Kankuro had one of the council members by the collar, just as he had when Gaara was kidnapped.

"You _hid_ her information from my brother?" he demanded. "And just what the _hell_ gives you the right, anyway?"

"Kankuro," Temari warned. "Let go of him, right now!"

For a moment, Kankuro looked like he was about to break the councilman's nose, but he begrudgingly complied, shoving the older man roughly back into his seat.

"Y-You don't understand," he managed. "That girl….Kazekage-sama, Kankuro-sama, we live in a _desert_. This girl has been tainted by demonic chakra. She could potentially cause great harm to the village!"

"Yeah? What kind of harm?" shouted Kankuro.

"W-well," stammered the council member. "She has the ability to manipulate any sort of liquid- water, blood, _anything_- with about the same innate proficiency as Kazekage-sama can do with sand and sediment. Imagine what she could do to the village's water supply! She could hold us all ransom if she desired!"

Kankuro growled. "There you old fools go again! Always with the stereotypes! First my brother here, and now this girl? You don't even know who the hell she is!"

After what had been a long silence, Gaara spoke up. "My brother is correct," he said calmly, though Temari could detect a hint of anger to his voice. Gaara had been offended by the councilor's words. "You are simply stereotyping someone who you have probably never met. You may as well be accusing _me_ of being a danger to the village. After all, at least that girl never had the _whole demon_ sealed within her. She only had a sliver of its chakra imbued in her at birth."

The councilor balked. "B-but…"

"Furthermore, knowingly hiding vital information, especially about such a powerful ninja, from the Kazekage…Is a serious crime. A crime not just against the leader of the village, myself, but against the village as a whole, for you- _all_ of you- are robbing us of what seems to be a valuable asset….Not to mention the fact that you're pushing the village into the very same predicament it suffered when I myself was imbued with demonic chakra. That is treason, for you are weakening your own village, while at the same time granting all others that much of an advantage. When did your loyalty waver?"

No one spoke. Gaara had stunned everyone there.

"Wow….Kazekage-sama…is pretty cool," Mimi thought to herself. When she looked over at her temporary superior, Matsuri, the latter was just looking at him dreamily. "Ugh," thought the cat-girl kunoichi. "Now that's a bit much…."

With the councilors still unable to find a retort to the young Kazekage's strong words, they relinquished Amaya's ninja file. There wasn't that much to see, however. As it happened, Amaya hadn't completed any missions at all, save the one from that very day, which she was currently recovering from. She wasn't even put on a squad. It was almost as if she just vanished after graduating from the Academy. There were several official inquiry forms, but nothing indicating they'd been responded to. She had sensed something was wrong; but was simply ignored.

"Those damn stick-in-the-mud types," growled Kankuro as he read over Gaara's shoulder, looking up every now and then to glare at the retreating forms of the councilors after they had been dismissed, "Why can't they just retire or something, and go live quietly where they won't bother anybody?"

"It's simple, really," offered his older sister. "Those who have power desire to keep it. That's all. Don't take it too personally, either of you."

"Yeah, but c'mon, Sis! There's gotta be another way to do things….! A better way!"

"Agreed," Gaara said, closing the lonely file. "Now come, let us return to my office so we can finally sort this out."

As the siblings turned, Matsuri announced their guest.

"Kazekage-sama, Kankuro-sama, Temari-sama….This is Mimi. She made an appointment to meet Kazekage-sama today, but it had to be postponed due to this meeting," she said.

Mimi waved at them. "Hey there! Pleased to meetcha, nya!"

"'Nya'? What are you, some kinda cat?" asked Kankuro gruffly. (A/N: "nya" = "meow". Mimi tends to say this periodically. Which is to say, it's her "dattebayo".)

"Kankuro," Temari warned sternly.

The belligerent shinobi's expression softened. "Sorry," he apologized to Mimi. "I'm just in a bad mood right now, that's all."

"Aw, that's ok! Even I can be a little…..Moody sometimes, nya."

Gaara rose from his seat. "Very well then, let us have our meeting first. It shouldn't take too long."

Some time later, Matsuri opened the door of Gaara's office in order to let his elder siblings enter, signaling the end of the private meeting.

"So?" Kankuro asked to no one in particular, "How'd it go?"

Mimi just remained silent, as if lost in thought. "She _is_ fit for re-instatement," began Gaara, "But I'm not sure whose tutelage to put her under. That is to say, I don't know what squad would be best for her."

Matsuri spoke up. "Gaara-sama, if I can offer my suggestion…I think we should just make a new squad. After all, we also need to place Amaya, right? That would leave just one more, besides the sensei."

"Hey, awesome idea!" Kankuro chimed in. "But….Who would teach 'em?"

Temari, who had been silent since the meeting ended, finally spoke. "I'd be willing. I know what it's like to be a girl and feel alone. I know what it's like to lose my parents and family, and even some degree of dignity, to circumstances beyond my control. I know what they're going through. I know what it's like to feel cursed," she said, "However briefly that feeling lasted for me compared to the time it took for others to heal."

Gaara considered it for a moment, and then frowned. "While I applaud your initiative, Temari, you are already a valuable asset to the village as a liaison between Suna and Konoha.

"Why can't they just be liaisons _with_ her, then?" Kankuro offered. "And when they're not in Konoha, they can go on other missions with Sis, too. It's not like liaisoning is _all_ she does."

Gaara looked at Temari. "Would that be alright with you?"

"Of course," she confirmed. "I don't see the harm."

"Very well, then," Gaara said. "I will process the necessary paperwork once we find a third student for you. The minimum number of members in a squad is four, so I cannot register this squad until we have three genin.

"Um," started a voice.

The siblings, intensely involved in their conversation, had completely forgotten Matsuri was still in the room.

"_I_ could be the third genin," she stated. "After all, though I'm supposed to be Gaara-sama's student, his Kazekage duties prevent him from having much time to teach me properly. Though it pains me to say such things," she said, bowing apologetically to Gaara, "Not to mention that I highly empathize with them. After all, I've lost my family as well, as you probably remember from when we first met."

"Actually, that's a good idea," replied Gaara. "I suppose I could 'loan' you to this squad."

Matsuri blushed. "Loan"? Why was Gaara-sama speaking so possessively of her? Unless—

"Yo, you awake?" Kankuro said, gruffly. "I said, 'let's go over to Amaya's room and tell her!'"

Temari held up a hand. "We'll go with you, brother, but the other members have to extend their consent as well.

"I don't mind, nya! And besides, what you said just now….That was really cool! I'd be happy to be your student, Temari-sensei!"

Temari whirled around to see Mimi standing behind her, having excitedly glomped Matsuri, realizing too late that she was next. "Oof! Alright, alright…Heheh," she chuckled as the younger girl hugged her tightly. "Now we go to see Amaya."

The purported "Water Demon" Amaya had been awake in her room for quite some time now. The medics came in periodically to give her a session of healing jutsu, and by now, her only complaint was that she was confused. Kankuro-sama's attitude perplexed her. Why was he so kind to her? It was like….Like he really, honestly cared. However, while she wanted to believe he was being genuine, but she couldn't help but feel he was hiding something. She had had it happen to her before- someone would pretend to be kind, only to stab her in the back in the end. She was afraid this would end the same way.

Just then, the man himself entered the room. Kankuro was planning on having a nice, relaxed conversation with her, but he knew that would be complicated when she fixed him with a wary look.

"Whoa," he said, "What's with the look? Did I do something wrong?"

"No," she thought. "In fact, you're doing _too much_ right." However, her mouth remained motionless.

"Well anyway," the older ninja continued, "Good news! We got ya put on a squad!"

Her expression changed to one of shock. "Wh-what?" she asked in disbelief. "How? Why?"

"Er, what?" Kankuro said, blinking from surprise. "'Why'? What do you mean, 'why'?"

"I don't….I don't understand," the young kunoichi said. She decided to be honest. That had worked so far, hadn't it? "This is the first time someone even _said_ that they'd do this for me. Is this a trick? Because it's always a trick…..Always."

"Heh," he said, "Not everyone is like that. You just haven't met the right people yet, that's all."

"No, you don't understand! All my life….Everyone's hated me. I've always been the 'Water Demon', or some other derogatory name, and everyone always pushed me away. Everyone….Everyone thinks I'm a monster," she said, sadly, using chakra to lift the water out of a nearby pitcher. "And sometimes….I end up thinking they're right."

Kankuro just stared at her. He was right- she shared so much in common with his brother. Then he spoke.

"Don't you dare…..!"

Amaya dropped the water back into the pitcher in surprise.

"Don't you dare," her captain growled again, his eyes darkened. "Don't you _ever_ think of yourself that way! You're _not_ a monster! If you're a monster," he continued, coming closer, "Then so is Gaara. So is my brother! At least _you_ never had the whole goddamn demon sealed in you! And he wasn't a monster. He _isn't_ a monster. So neither are you. You got that? You're no monster- You're my _friend_; a loyal Suna kunoichi who saved my life out there today!"

Amaya couldn't help but tear up. It didn't help that he himself was tearing up from the passion he put into his own words. Even outside the room, the other members of Team Temari were stunned.

"Wow," Mimi thought. "All three of them are so cool…!"

"Kankuro…." murmured Temari. Her brother was starting to sound like him…Like that blond shorty from Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto. Not that she really minded. Some of the things he said were quite moving.

Finally, Amaya finished drying her eyes. Being able to manipulate liquid helped greatly with this task. "A-alright," she managed. "I'll do it. Because….Because my_ friend_ gave me this opportunity," she said finally, smiling up at Kankuro.

He returned the expression.

Smiling made her lips hurt, she discovered. Her mouth was not used to that shape at all…Perhaps she would just have to smile more. As her new teammates burst into the room, ruining the moment, she couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle.

Mimi had thrown the door open and ran in to give her teammate a good glomp, managing to trip on her way into the room and crashed, landing spread-eagled between Amaya and Kankuro, as Matsuri frantically rushed to help her up and Temari exasperatedly pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed as she entered the room.

For her, being a part of this team would be a challenge.

For Amaya, however, it was the start of a new life- one with friends, and reasons to smile.

* * *

Yay, I love happy endings...But this is just one part of the larger story! Rate and review!


	7. Preparations for the Summit!

I still don't own Naruto!

OC's= Mine.

* * *

Chapter 7- Preparations for the Summit!

Over the next few days, life in Suna gradually returned to normal, and preparations were in place for the Kage Summit. All that was left was for the Kage to make the trek all the way to the Land of Iron. Knowing that Konoha would be particularly tense in this situation, Gaara had sent his sister and her new team to Konoha, that the younger kunoichi might see what their closest ally was like in times of stress.

"Konoha will be about as tense as it can get in peacetime," he had told his sister. "Maybe letting the girls see it in such a state will help them, keep them from seeing it as some idyllic place that it is not; that it is the same as our village, barring climate. Perhaps you might even run into the Hokage."

Nearing the gates of their neighbor and best friend, Temari was torn between thinking it was the worst idea her brother had ever had, and wholeheartedly agreeing with him. He was right to think that they needed to be shown all sides of Konoha's personality as a village, but were they ready right then?

Suddenly, Mimi broke her reverie. "Sensei! Sensei, what's Konoha like, nya? This forest is really warm…Almost feels like a good place to take a nap."

"No naps," responded Temari flatly. "You had a full night's sleep last night; that should be more than enough for someone your age."

"What I want to know," chimed in Matsuri, "Is if the Hokage is anything like Gaara-sama in-person. I mean, you've told me about her, Sensei, but…"

As her student trailed off, Temari knew what she meant. Her depictions of Tsunade-sama were very respectful, so as not to foster irreverence in others. However, she did leave a few things out, such as the last Sanin's drinking and gambling problems, and her periodic laziness. She had focused on her positive traits. "Well….To be honest," the young sensei began, "There are plenty of similarities…..And just as many differences."

_BANG!_

Shizune flinched. Tsunade-sama had just slammed her fist on the table, something which had always frightened Shizune, as that was usually the sign that she was _really _pissed off. It didn't help that, given her mentor's relatively short temper, Shizune had seen this a lot growing up.

"What do you _mean_, 'he's asked us to wait'?" Tsunade snarled at her assistant.

"Th-that's what he said, milady!" came the timid reply. "He said he wanted to take care of something before you left!"

Tsunade let out a frustrated sigh. "Well, tell him to get it _over with_! I invite him to something that only jonin of my choosing are supposed to accompany me to, as part of my entourage, no less, and he thinks he can do whatever he pleases? I never would have thought that even Naruto was capable of such audacity!"

Elsewhere in the village, Sakura slowly approached the Nakano Bridge, where her orange-clad teammate awaited her. Why had he called her out like this, when Tsunade-sama was surely waiting? And why here, of all places? Neither of them had even been to Nakano Bridge before. As she approached him, she grew even more worried. Was Naruto…..Brooding over something? He almost looked as if he were trying to steel up the courage to do or say something crazy. He was her friend, and a good one at that, but Sakura decided to be cautious.

Little did either of them know, a certain white-eyed kunoichi was also watching, wondering much the same things as Sakura- why hadn't Naruto left yet, and why did he call Sakura out? And why to such an out-of-the-way location?

Suddenly, both girls got their answer.

"Sakura," Naruto said.

Sakura couldn't tell if he sounded grim or mildly relieved. "Naruto, what's going on? Why haven't you left with Hokage-sama yet?"

Her old friend laughed. "Are ya _that _eager to get rid of me?"

Sakura barely managed to keep her composure at that remark. Even though Shizune-san was being left behind as well, not being taken by her own mentor to the sentencing of her teammate…..That hurt. She could understand _why_ she wasn't going, but Naruto didn't have to bring it up, especially not as if he assumed she _liked_ being left behind again.

"Hey, relax, it was just a joke," he reassured her. "I'm kinda weirded-out that she's not taking you, too. You're not the only one."

"So why'd you call me out, then?" Sakura demanded flatly.

"Yes, Naruto," thought Hinata. "Why _did_ you call her out?"

"Because…..Well," he started, "Y'know how I always used to tell ya that I loved ya and stuff?"

Hinata's spirits fell a little. She still held out hope, but….Was he…?

Sakura was caught off-guard. "Uh, yeah…..But what's that got to do with—"

"I realized something over the past few months…..Well, realized a few months ago and fell unconscious, that is…."

Sakura just stared at him. "Wait, so….You….You're bringing this up, _now_? Tsunade-sama is—"

"Just hear me out, will ya?" Naruto cut her off. "I….When we were young, I…..I was always alone. I did things- stupid things- just to get people's attention. Even if they reacted negatively, I was grateful for any reaction at all. Because if they were reacting, it was because I did something. I did things, because that reminded myself that I was still alive." Naruto stepped closer and smiled wistfully. "I…What I really wanted, what I always wanted….Was for someone, _anyone_, to acknowledge that I was still around. That's why…That's why I'd always take the time to pull pranks on you when we were kids. You always had the biggest reaction- as if I'd lit a firecracker in the middle of the hallway."

Sakura stared at him. Back then, she had always assumed he was out to get her. Now, she finally knew why.

"But," Naruto continued, "Is that really love? I mean…..I thought I loved you because you gave me attention, but….I think I know now. That's not love. Love is….Well, like how you love Sasuke. You'd do anything to protect him, even something crazy like trying to kill him four months ago."

Sakura's face felt hot as she warded off the memory of her failed assassination attempt on Sasuke.

"I wanted acknowledgement, but I confused that desire for love. I'm sorry about that, Sakura…..I really am."

For a short while, Sakura was silent. "Naruto…..Why are you telling me all this…?" she asked, fighting back tears.

"Because I know you feel bad since you think you've caused me so much pain, and since you think it's because I might still have a crush on you like when we were kids. I don't want you to have to carry that guilt, because you're my friend. I wanted to settle that before leaving the village for the Summit."

Sakura sighed. "I honestly don't know whether to hit you because you're so thick, or to hug you because that's actually quite noble of you to say. Well….? What about….You know?"

Naruto blinked. "I 'know,' what?"

Sakura facepalmed. "_Hinata_, you baka! I'm talking about Hinata!"

"Oooh," Naruto responded rather dimly, much to the disappointment of both girls. "About her…I'm still trying to sort things out."

"Ugh, you're so _dense_! Either you love her or you don't; same as with me!...She even fits what you said about love just now!"

"Nah, it's not that simple," he replied. "I honestly dunno. It's the most frustrating thing- I just _do not know_. I definitely feel like something's there, but…..I don't wanna confuse her like I confused you. Treating _one_ friend that way is bad enough."

"Maybe you should go talk to her," suggested Hinata internally. "She'd help you figure it out."

"Well, if you're gonna talk to her, do it soon," Sakura said, turning to leave. "Thanks for the apology, and even though I still think it was unnecessary, I forgive you all the same, if that makes you feel any better."

He grinned. "Haha, yeah it does, actually. I guess I'd better go find her, huh?"

Both the jinchuriki and the medic were surprised to see the girl herself standing there when they turned.

Hinata blushed. "I-I just happened to be in the area, and I c-couldn't help but overhear—"

"Aw, that's okay," said Naruto. "Hey, c'mere."

Not knowing what else to do, Hinata complied. After all, this was Naruto and Sakura. It's not like either of them would do something embarrassing, right?

Apparently, she was wrong…..Seeing as Naruto began to unzip his jacket, under which she could see his chest plainly through the standard-issue wire-mesh undershirt-like armor.

"Kyaaa!" cried Hinata, whirling around and turning beet-red as she covered her face. "N-N-Naruto…! I….I…..Why are you….?"

Naruto quietly approached her. "Jeesh, I was only unzipping it a bit. Haha, you're a pervert, Hinata!"

"Me?" the girl squeaked. "N-no! It's just…I….I!"

"Yikes, Hinata. Relax; I was just kidding. You can't take a joke either!"

Sakura's expression hardened. "Maybe it's because your jokes are about as funny as eating moldy cheese, Naruto," she said.

"Ouch," he responded. "Anyway," he continued, removing a necklace from around his neck, "This is a replica of the necklace Granny Tsunade gave me a long time ago. The real one got destroyed while I was- no, when _we were_ fighting Pein. This replica… It's just pretty and nothing else, besides fragile. I dunno what's gonna happen at the Summit, but I heard it was pretty crazy last time. I'm not sure I can prevent this from breaking…..Can I ask you to hold on to it?"

"M-me?" Hinata stammered.

"Er, yeah. Think you can manage?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed with joy. "Er, I-I mean, 'yes'," she said, regaining her composure.

Quickly slipping the item of jewelry around the Hyuga heiress's neck, Naruto just barely caught her as she fainted from the excitement.

"I'll take care of her," Sakura offered. "You'd better get a move on if you wanna stay in one piece!"

After expressing his thanks, Naruto bolted for the Hokage's office, prepared for the worst.

One severe lecture and several near-miss encounters with airborne furniture later, Naruto and the rest of the Hokage's entourage gathered at the gate, ready to leave. The group consisted of Tsunade, Naruto himself, Nara Shikaku, and Kakashi. Sasuke was coming along as well, but as a prisoner. Several ANBU manned the wagon they used to transport him. Right before they left, however, a familiar hand clapped Naruto on the shoulder.

"Hey," said Shikamaru in his usual nonchalant tone. "Headin' out?"

"Yeah," Naruto responded, grinning.

"Huh. Well, I mostly came to see my old man off, but here- this might come in handy," he said, rummaging in his weapons pouch. Pulling out Asuma's knife, Shikamaru presented to his friend.

"Asuma-sensei's knife? Whoa Shikamaru….This is an awesome gift, but….I dunno if I'm worthy of holding it."

Shikamaru mimicked an angry glare. "Who the hell said it was a gift? I'm _loaning_ it to you. Go on, take it…..You had just better bring it back, got that?"

Naruto threw up a goofy salute. "You got it, Shikamaru!...Thanks."

As Naruto and the others finally left, the shy girl who loved him slowly awakened. "Ugh, I fainted again. I must find a way to prevent that," thought Hinata. Her hand immediately flew to her chest, at the center of which the replica gem hung. "S-so it wasn't a dream….?" Hinata dazedly asked to no one in particular.

"Nope, it wasn't," came a familiar voice, causing Hinata to jump to her feet.

"S-sakura? Then that….With Naruto…..On the bridge…?"

Sakura sighed in mock exasperation. "_Yes_, Hinata, for the last time. It happened."

Hinata simply stared at the gem for awhile, cradling it in her hands. Then, she unzipped her own jacket partway, like Naruto had, and allowed the necklace to fall inside, hanging just above her cleavage.

Both girls blushed at the gesture, but decided not to debate the possible interpretations of it.

Back at the gate, Shikamaru kept loitering around, even though his father was long gone.

Izumo hailed him. "Oi, Shikamaru! What're you waitin' around for?"

Kotetsu frowned when he saw Shikamaru's expression.

He was quite worried, and it was plainly shown on his face. "I'm….Waiting for someone, that's all," he said, lighting a cigarette. This was a bad sign. Unless it was the anniversary of Asuma-sensei's death, Shikamaru usually only smoked when he was really worried about something and didn't have anything else to occupy himself with. By now, he'd smoked one or two cigarettes daily for a few weeks.

Izumo suddenly grinned and poked his buddy, Kotetsu. "Haha, he's clearly worried about his girl! Stands to reason, when ya consider that her village was under siege for the past few weeks. Rather unfortunate that we were spread so thin then, huh?"

Kotetsu returned his friend's grin. "Heh, yeah. Otherwise Shikamaru could've led the charge to help 'em out!"

Shikamaru bristled. "You two clowns _do_ realize I can hear you, right?"

"Huh, so you _were_ worried," interjected a familiar voice.

Temari and her students were standing in the gateway.

Shikamaru just stared at them. It wasn't that she looked abnormal or anything, but he was mostly trying to comprehend who the other three girls were, and wondering what she might have gone through in the past month, especially with what seemed to be a bandage on her cheek.

"These are my students," she said, picking up on his curiosity as he and Mimi got into a staring contest. "And we'll talk later," she continued, "After you get rid of that _smell_." Needless to say, Temari did _not_ approve of him smoking more than once a year, and even then she still made him get rid of the smell before associating with him.

As customary for them, Shikamaru covered his mouth as he spoke, to block the smell of the tobacco fumes. "Too bad, though, if you were trying to meet the Hokage. She just left."

This comment was met by the groans of both Matsuri and Mimi, though Amaya remained silent.

"Anyway, I'll give them the guided tour," she said.

"Sounds good to me," responded Shikamaru. "See ya later?"

"Sure," she said slyly. "Depends on how well you wash up."

Matsuri balked slightly. She wasn't a hundred percent sure, but that sounded a lot like Temari was talking about more than just a date, which wasn't her usual style. She would've expected that from Kankuro rather than his sister. Deciding not to dwell too long on it, she busied herself trying to wrangle Mimi, who immediately began exploring the village's gatehouse area, much to Izumo and Kotetsu's simultaneous annoyance and amusement.

As Temari led her new students around the village, two forms dropped into the shadows near Konoha's Ninja Prison facility. Their purple headbands framing their pitch-hued metal plates, they seemed to melt with their black cloaks into the darkness in which they landed.

A new threat was at Konoha's door yet again.

* * *

Ooh, I wonder what's gonna happen...?

Rate & review!


	8. The Road to the Summit!

I _do_ own Naruto now!...Not.

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Chapter 8- The Road to the Summit!

As the Hokage's entourage rested at the edge of the Konoha forest, Naruto stretched and lay down in the grass.

"Hey," said a tired-sounding voice. "Got room for one more?"

Naruto looked up to see his sensei walking up to him. Rolling over, he provided some room. "Here," he said. "The grass there is real soft." As the ashen-haired ninja lay down where his student had indicated, Naruto grinned at him. "Heheh, but man, sensei, you're getting' _old_! I mean, you're already tired?"

The older shinobi gazed at his student dolefully. "Not everyone is _you_, Naruto."

As the self-proclaimed Orange Hokage lay down, he pondered what that meant. He realized that he had been so excited about this trip, that he was dragging the caravan behind him, with them attempting to catch up to their rambunctious youngest member.

Naruto glanced at the wagon that held his friend. A powerful genjutsu was placed on it that rendered him unconscious throughout the trek, so it was useless to go talk to him. He didn't know Shikamaru's father very well, but he looked like a scarier, older version of Shikamaru. He seemed to be busy talking to Granny Tsunade, so Naruto decided not to bother them. Kakashi-sensei needed to rest as well, so Naruto, ever in need of something to do, decided to do some light training while waiting for the rest of the group to get moving again. Pulling out a kunai, he conjured a Kage Bunshin and began to spar with it. He summoned more and more each time he won a round. By the time he had gotten to summon ten opponents, the order came.

"Alright people, we're moving out! Tsunade-sama wants to reach the Land of Iron by nightfall!"

Kakashi got up wearily at the sound of Shikaku's words. "Ugh," he thought. "I'd better watch my energy levels. Maybe I'll let someone else chase Naruto next time."

"Come on, Kakashi-sensei! You're goin' too slow!" Kakashi did his best to keep his lackadaisical composure. "You're not exactly _helping_, you know."

"You need help? Okay!"

Suddenly, Kakashi was being carried by several Kage Bunshin Narutos, much to Tsunade's annoyance at the absurd sight. A few stern reprimands later, and Kakashi was back to walking, and the clones dissipated.

"Jeez, if I'd have known it looked so dumb, I wouldn't have done it," Naruto grumbled under his breath.

Kakashi patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Well, it's the thought that counts. Just try not to tick off the Hokage, alright?"

"I'll try, sensei, but that's harder than trying not to tick off Sakura!" Coming from Naruto, this meant a lot. For a good while, Sakura seemed to explode over anything he said or did, whether he meant to provoke her or not- usually earning him a cranial injury of some sort.

When he saw that they had arrived at the same inn that he, Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-taicho had stayed at last time he was in the Land of Iron, Naruto ran ahead of the group again, only to literally run into a familiar face. Luckily, this familiar face was able to use sand to soften the impact.

"Naruto," came the same husky voice. It was Gaara.

"So, fox-boy came, after all," chimed in Kankuro, who had been walking behind his younger brother.

"Gaara," Naruto noted. "And Kankuro, too!...Wait, where's your sister? Te….Te..ma…."

"_Temari_," Kankuro snapped. "Jeez, it's true what they say. You _suck_ at remembering names."

Naruto's expression became vulpine. "Yeesh, give a guy a break! I just blanked out, okay?"

Gaara merely smiled as Naruto and his brother bickered. Even after what was likely one of the biggest battles in his entire life, Naruto was still the same Naruto. That was quite reassuring, given how unstable the situation of Sunagakure often was. "So where _is_ she, anyway?" Naruto asked Gaara, his quarrel with Kankuro ended.

"She is actually in Konoha as we speak," Gaara said. "She leads a squad now, but, as she must keep up her duties as a liaison, her students are her apprentices in that area."

"Cool!" replied Naruto. "I wanna meet 'em!"  
"In good time," Gaara said. "Now, I've heard that you, along with Kakashi and Yamato, once encountered Uchiha Tobi here?"

"Oh yeah! Lemme take ya to the room!"

As the younger shinobi searched for the room, the older members of the Konoha entourage got rooms and rested.

"I wonder how the village is doing right now….?" Tsunade mused. Little did she know, something big was about to happen.

In a dark cavern, a single man with black, spiked hair and a bizarre mask was speaking to a hooded subordinate.

"So, our agents are in place in Konoha? Good….After Jiro's failure at Suna, we'll need to do this as our Plan B."

"Tobi-sama," came the reply. "Perhaps you could…Let me keep a few of those that we'll be 'liberating' from the Shinobi Prison…For research."

The ancient ninja glared at his subordinate. "And why should I do that? We need as many standard troops as possible. The Zetsu clones weren't even close to durable enough. Speaking of which, you have those to test your insane theories on."

"Ah, but Tobi-sama," came the sibilant reply. "That only lets me gather data on one person. I could potentially enhance the strength of any new troops we get in the future, if I am merely allowed to have my way with a few of the ones we will obtain today."

"Very well!" Tobi said. "But _only_ a few."

"But of course," the figure said, adjusting his glasses with his overly-long tongue.

In Konoha, Temari had finished her tour and allowed her students to explore the village themselves to familiarize themselves with it, with the proviso that they not cause trouble.

Mimi, in particular, was feeling quite adventurous. She was _so_ adventurous, in fact, that she tried petting a huge dog that she saw from behind. While she had expected it to be something like a big puppy, it was decidedly not. It was a feral stray dog, brown in color, with savage features. Its face and body were covered in scars, and its teeth looked like someone had replaced them with white kunai. Mimi obeyed the urge her instincts gave her: she ran.

Running through the streets of Konoha was already tough given how crowded they were, but she had a mad dog behind her to deal with as well. However, Mimi didn't know the village as well as she thought; which was proven in the fact that the path she had chosen led to a dead end. Cowering out of pure fear, Mimi covered Tama's eyes and squeezed her own eyes shut. Then, all of a sudden, she heard a male voice.

"Feh, another bully, huh? Let's get 'im, Akamaru!"

"**WOOF!**"'

**SMACK!**

When Mimi dared open her eyes again at the sounds of yelping and retreating paws, she saw a white dog, about the same size as her attacker…..But what she saw next was more odd- a boy about her age, apparently riding on the giant dog. When he had chased the other dog away, the boy and dog turned around. The shinobi and kunoichi were both at a loss for words, for once. She saw a handsome, rugged, strongly-built young man, and he saw a very pretty, but strong-looking, young woman.

"I…I…..Um," managed Kiba.

"Mimi…" she said. "I'm….Mimi."

His face feeling hot seeing her blush, Kiba tried again to sound impressive. "And I'm Inuzuka Kiba! So, 'Mimi", huh?"

"Y-yeah," she said. "I'm Tomoneko Mimi, from Suna, nya."

Kiba laughed. "Haha, cute name! Well then…..Why don't I go ahead and give you and your kitty a tour of the village?"

"It's okay, nya," she told him. "My sensei already did. I just got lost running from that giant bully dog you just saved me from, nya."

"Well, stick with me, and you won't get attacked like that again. I'm kinda like the 'top dog' around here, if ya know what I mean," he said, jabbing a thumb at his puffed-up chest. "Wanna ride on Akamaru here?"

"Will he let me?" the cat-girl asked warily.

"Of course! Ain't that right, boy?"

Akamaru merely woofed happily, which Mimi assumed meant "yes".

Their ride was cut short, however, because nearby, there was a loud noise.

**CRRRAK!**

When they arrived at the source of the disturbance, the Konoha Shinobi Prison had a large gash in its side. There was a single ninja, whose only visible articles of clothing were his headband and cloak. Everything else seemed to be under the cloak. His partner was setting up some kind of teleportation jutsu in the lawn not far from the breach.

Kiba shouted at the ninja standing at the breach, saying, "Hey! Who the hell are you?"

The man turned around. He had unruly long black hair, the eyes of a killer, and the stern features of a seasoned warrior, almost as if he was constantly fighting and killing others. "I am called Raijin. My brother is named Fujin," he said, gesturing to the blond-haired ninja a few meters away from him. "I'd play with you myself, children, but I'm afraid I'm much too busy helping these fools escape. Therefore, as a parting gift….!" He said, throwing a Summon Scroll at them. As soon as it opened, a garrison of Zetsu clones lept out.

"Shit," Kiba spat. "Hey, Mimi, how good are you at fighting?"

However, contrary to before, she looked confident, almost smug. She vanished, but Kiba could detect movement. She didn't teleport, but rather she was just moving incredibly quickly. Suddenly, her voice spoke next to him. "I'll show you why," she said, "back home they call me the 'Bloody Sandstorm'!"

As she said this, several of the Zetsu clones were slashed in various directions.

Kiba didn't waste any time, either. Performing several tag-team Getsugas on the Zetsu other clones, he and Akamaru managed to get most of them under control. However, they missed one…..And it looked like it was about to hit Mimi in the back as she slowed back down.

"**HSSSS!"**

**FWSSSSH!**

Before Kiba could even warn his friend, a fireball came from seemingly out of nowhere and burned the offending Zetsu to ash.

"Tama!" cried Mimi. "Tama, are you alright?"

The cat's tail was smoking when Mimi went to check on her.

"Oh, thank goodness, you didn't burn yourself!"

Kiba hadn't noticed before, but the cat had an odd tail for sure- it was Y-shaped, forked at the end. Not to mention the fact that it was smoking. "Hey Akamaru," he said. "Call me crazy, but I think the _cat_ shot the fireball!"

Mimi turned to him. "Haha, yeah, that's one of her many abilities as a Bakeneko," she confirmed.

"Bake…._What_?" came the reply. "Anyway, that's not important right now! We gotta stop—" he stopped when he turned to an empty lawn. "_Dammit_," he growled. "They got away."

A man, who Mimi assumed was a guard, appeared in front of them. He had spiked brown hair, and a pretty normal face, excluding what seemed to be a burn scar extending from the left side of his jaw to the bridge of his nose.

"Hey, Raido," greeted Kiba.

"Good, you kids are safe…..At least there's that," muttered the older ninja.

Kiba walked up to him. "_Please_ tell me that wasn't everybody."

The scarred ninja managed a small smile. "Well, there's good news and bad news. Which one d'ya wanna hear first?"

"Whaddya think?" retorted Kiba angrily. "The good news!"

"The good news is, that _wasn't_ everyone…Me and the other guards who were on duty stopped the rest," started Raido. "Problem is, those that _did_ escape were some of the strongest prisoners that were in there."

"And those two cloaked guys got through your defenses, didn't they? That's a problem, isn't it?" interjected Mimi.

"Yeah," muttered Kiba. "So, what're we gonna do?"

"Keep it under wraps for right now until we get some decent intel, obviously," replied the elder shinobi. "If we're gonna tell Hokage-sama something like this while she's busy with the Summit, we should at least have _some_ idea of what's going on."

Mimi had caught a glimpse of something in the rubble as the two Konoha chunin talked. A lone headband was left there, totally undamaged. Black metal and purple cloth, just like those of the guys they fought…..And also just like that of the guy that Kankuro-sama and Amaya fought recently. Whoever Raijin and Fujin were, they were connected to Jiro…And that meant that they were dangerous. Mimi was grateful all they ended up fighting instead were some weird monsters.

"Hey guys!" she called to the two Konoha shinobi. "Look at this!"

Meanwhile, the situation was much different in Tobi's hideout, with the substantial number of new arrivals.

**WHOOSH!**

When the dust cleared, Fujin and Raijin were standing there, flanked by the criminals they had escaped with.

Tobi, their leader, addressed them coolly. "Well…..It certainly looks like you were successful. Good work."

By now, the prisoners were starting to fidget. They had received word months ago that they would be broken out of jail, but something seemed "off". Why was it so dark? Were they inside a cave? How big? How deep down were they? What _was_ this place? Finally, one of them spoke up.

"Hey! Hey you….The one in the weird mask! What the hell is goin' on? I thought we'd be free after breaking out like that!"

"Oh, you're _free_, alright," responded the old Uchiha. "Free to do my bidding," he said, as they were overtaken by his Sharingan. "Welcome….to Yamigakure- the Village Hidden in Darkness."

In Konoha, the investigation had begun in earnest. Apparently there had been a decoy attack at the far side of the village, which turned out to merely be a powerful genjutsu. By the time Yuhi Kurenai and other genjutsu specialists were able to disperse it, the true attack had already begun and ended in an instant. All that was left was for Suna and Konoha to compare notes. From what it looked like, Akatsuki-or whatever Tobi was going to call his group now-was alive and well.

The war wasn't as "over" as they had thought.

* * *

Dun dun duuun! And so ends chapter 8! But what'll happen at the Summit? Tune in next week (hopefully) to find out!

Don't forget to rate and review!


	9. The Summit!

I don't own Naruto...Don't sue me, please...Especially since this could be a controversial chapter...

* * *

Chapter 9- The Summit!

Naruto and company had rested long enough by the time the following day had dawned. Both the Suna and Konoha parties marched to the samurai compound together. A grizzled old samurai, apparently their leader, greeted them formally at the door.

"Hokage-dono, Kazekage-dono. Welcome once again to our home," he said, bowing.

Naruto had never met him before, but already he could sense power emanating from the man his elders called "Mifune-san".

As he led their caravan further into the compound, Mifune stopped and held up a hand. "I am sorry, Hokage-dono, but as I am sure you already know, the boy must remain outside of the conference room," he said, gesturing to Naruto, who gaped.

"W-wait a minute! What do you mean, I gotta stay here? I _have_ to be in there!"

"Oh, is that a fact?" responded a stern voice.

Naruto whirled around just in time to see the hulking figure of Kumo's Raikage standing over him. Looks like _someone_ had arrived early.

"I don't recall you being some sort of attorney," he continued, "not to mention I probably wouldn't let you in, even if you were!"

Stepping between the two, Mifune raised his hands in a placating manner. "Now, now…..Please, calm down, Raikage-dono, Naruto-dono."

Tsunade put her hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Calm down," she ordered him sternly. "If you're really so interested in keeping Sasuke alive, angering the man who wants him dead isn't such a wise idea, is it?"

"I….I guess not," Naruto muttered, gritting his teeth.

"We Kage will convene for the meeting first," continued the Hokage. "We will send for you as necessary, I promise."

Naruto nodded solemnly. She may have had a short temper, but when she made a promise, she kept it. Allowing a samurai to escort him to another room, Naruto began to contemplate what would happen to Sasuke.

Tsunade sighed. It was bad enough that the criminal on trial was from her village, but here she had a borderline insubordinate ninja as well. Finally making her way into the conference room, the parties from Kumo , Suna and Konoha waited for their compatriots from Iwa and Kiri. The room's configuration was different from the way it was the last time they were there. The circular table had been raised several meters, with stairs extending up from the floor and leading up to a platform where the Kages' seats were. In the center of the table was a cylindrical area, much like a small room, in which Sasuke was to stand for his trial. After a few hours, the room was properly filled. All the entourages were the same as last time, aside from Suna's and Konoha's. Raikage-sama had brought along C and Darui again, Tsuchikage-sama came with his granddaughter Kurotsuchi and her partner Akatsuchi, and Mizukage-sama was accompanied by the Sensor-nin Ao and the Seven Mist Swordsman Chojuro. Gaara had brought along his former sensei Baki in place of Temari, while Kakashi and Shikaku stood at either side of Tsunade's seat. Mifune was flanked by two samurai, one of them with his long hair tied up in a ponytail, while the other, an older, grizzled one, merely wore the standard top-knot. It was quite the cast of characters.

"Right then," said Mifune. "Now that everyone has gathered, does anyone have any recent developments to report to the rest of the Alliance before we commence the trial of Uchiha Sasuke?"

Gaara stood, along with the Raikage. Gaara's report, of course, concerned the month-long siege of his village, while the Raikage's was equally distressing.

"Someone tried to steal the Tools of the Sage from our storehouse in Kumo," he said gruffly. "Luckily, they failed. All five are still in our possession. My brother, Killer Bee, and his team are guarding them as we speak."

Of course, directly after the battle, as the troops recovered, Kumo gathered up the five tools, including the Banana Palm Fan which Tenten had obtained during the battle. This fact, however, did not escape the attention of the other Kage.

"About that," began the Tsuchikage, "While I obviously don't intend to offend you, Raikage…..Shouldn't those weapons be distributed among the ninja villages? After all, there _are_ five villages, excluding the samurai, who probably have no use for them anyway," he said, glancing at Mifune, who nodded. "That's enough for each village to have one."

Predictably, the implacable Raikage whirled on him. "Are you _insane_, old man? Why would we ever hand over our—"

"Actually, it _is_ pretty unfair," interjected Mizukage. "I mean, we _are _allies, right? So we should share things…Shouldn't we? What do you think, Kazekage-sama?" she asked, almost teasingly.

"I agree," Gaara responded with a straight face, "However, we should let the Raikage finish giving us his view on the matter."

As if on cue, Raikage began to explain. "What I meant to say earlier," he said, "Was that such a division would be pointless because some of the weapons must be used in tandem to work properly. Separate them, and they aren't worth shit as weapons!"

"Then give the ones that need others to work to the three villages with the best relationship," replied Mizukage. "I mean, Konoha, Suna, and Iwa seem to be pretty close to each other, don't they?" she said, turning her gaze to Tsunade.

Tsunade, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, finally replied, "I suppose so…..If we won't cause unnecessary problems by dividing them up like this," she said. "After all," she continued, standing, "We would be placing strain on each other in that we'd need each other in order to use the three Tools properly."

Raikage, realizing that he wasn't likely to win the debate, conceded. "Very well! But Kumo will keep the Amber Purifying Pot!"

"Of course, dear, that's only fair," replied Mizukage blithely.

"Huh! So which will you be taking? The Banana Palm Fan?"

"Naturally."

"Suna will take the Crimson Gourd, in that case," replied Gaara, prompting a slight grin from all present. Of course he'd choose the gourd.

"Iwa will take the Seven-star Sword," quipped Tsuchikage. "That alright with you, Hokage?"

"Yes," she confirmed," which leaves the Golden Canopy Rope for Konoha."

Mifune spoke up. "Now that that is settled, perhaps it is time to begin the trial," he said, looking around the room, "Unless anyone has anything else to say?"

When the Kages were ready, Tsunade had Sasuke brought in. By this time, he had been awakened and was fully cognizant.

"Uchiha Sasuke," began Mifune, "Do you know why you have been brought before this council today?"

"Yeah," the Uchiha responded grimly. "I know."

Raikage studied the prisoner as his own mind filled with questions. How long exactly had he been awake? From the looks of him, he had had the time to gather his wits. Why, then, had he not tried to escape yet? Surely he knew that he was just a majority vote away from execution? Where was his sword? Why wasn't he activating his beloved Sharingan?

"I realize the weight of my crimes," Sasuke stated. "Judge me as you see fit," he finished, looking up to see the faces of the five Kage and Mifune glowering down at him.

Tsunade stood. "Uchiha Sasuke, you are charged with treason, attempted kidnapping, murder of a superior officer, and involvement in the terrorist organization Akatsuki. How do you plead?"

"Guilty, of course," replied Sasuke, with the same calm with which he had entered the room. "I don't have any excuses to give you. It's all there in your intel reports. I tried to kill Tobi alongside Uzumaki Naruto during the war, but the old bastard got away."

"Well then," began Mifune. If no one else has anything to say, we shall begin the vote. Each Kage will—"

_WHOOSH!_

The old Samurai was cut off by the sudden explosion of smoke in the center of the room. As the smoke cleared, it was all Kakashi could do not to facepalm then and there- for Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha's #1 Knucklehead, had made his appearance.

"No way!" he shouted. "Not until I've said something!"

Everyone just stared at him. Everyone except the belligerent Raikage, who immediately confronted the impulsive young shinobi. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing, kid? This is a meeting for _adults_. Get out. _Now_."

"Not until I've had my say!" came the impetuous reply.

Tsunade sighed. "Sorry for the inconvenience, everyone…..But I'd like to introduce you to one of the most powerful, though rash and impulsive, shinobi of Konoha- Uzumaki Naruto. I'll take responsibility for this, so please, hear him out." While it didn't happen the way she would've preferred, a promise was a promise. She had to let him speak to them.

"Very well," said the Raikage, sitting back down. "Who knows? This may prove entertaining."

"I know that Sasuke's done some pretty crazy stuff," Naruto began, "I know that there needs to be some kind of consequence….But do we really have to kill him? Can't we just—"

"Just _what_, boy?" interrupted the Raikage, as the others remained silent. "What are you proposing? Keeping him _alive_?"

The jinchuriki's reply stunned even him, though it wasn't clear whether the spiky-haired ninja was either incredibly noble or incredibly stupid.

"Of course I'm asking you to let him live! In fact, I'll take responsibility for him!"

Everyone just stared. Some, like the Raikage, wondered what exactly that statement meant. Others, like Shikaku and Kankuro, balked at the possible foolishness of making such a move. Still others, such as Gaara and Tsunade, understood exactly what he meant.

"You'll….'take responsibility for his fate', huh?" asked Raikage credulously. "What do you mean by that, exactly?"

"I'm just saying, just let him go this once….This once! And I promise…..I'll help him! I'll make sure you see what kind of person he really is!"

"I think I already know that pretty well," Raikage returned bluntly. "Huh…..At least he's not crying this time," he thought, remembering the first time Naruto had begged to him to spare Sasuke's life, before the first Kage Summit. This Naruto was a different person from that one. What he was saying seemed absurd, but it was something.

"Please," Naruto said. "If you kill him, then what? Will killing Sasuke stop Tobi? Will that solve our world's problems?"

Raikage merely continued to fix Naruto with a stern glare.

"All that's happened- Sasuke's actions, Tobi's actions….All this pain we all had to go through, and will have to go through….It's all because of hatred. Tobi hated the Senju, so he first dissented against Konoha and then attacked it twice with Kyubi. Because of this, Konoha's government began to distrust and hate Uchiha, leading to the Massacre. Sasuke hated his brother Itachi, and now he hates the Elders, all because of the Massacre. What's the end of it? What will killing Sasuke solve, when he has people who care about him and will probably hate you and might come after you just because of him?"

"You mean _you_, boy?" asked the Raikage. "Because, if you're foolhardy enough to try and threaten the _Raikage_—"

"No," Naruto replied. "I'm not threatening you. I never said it had to be me going after you. It's just, _someone_ will. It's inevitable."

"So, then, what are you suggesting be done?"

Naruto froze briefly. He had been expecting the question, but not the one who asked it. He turned to see his old friend, bound as he was, staring intently at him.

"I know you said once that I don't have to forgive the ones I have a problem with, but I don't need to hate them. So what should I do instead? What should _they_ do?" he said, gesturing at the Gokage Council.

"I…I don't know yet," Naruto said, solemnly, "But I _do_ know what we should do in your situation….Or rather, what I should do." Turning to the Raikage, he made his promise. "If you let him go this once, I'll take up the burden of the consequences of Sasuke's actions along with him. If he commits a crime, I'll follow him to prison. If he is executed, I'll die, too. If he is forced to….Forced to stay a genin forever, then I will, as well!" As he said these things, a fire lit in his eyes. He was dead serious.

Tsunade froze. Did Naruto realize what he was saying? If things didn't work out, assuming Sasuke was acquitted, Naruto's own chances of becoming Hokage would be jeopardized. She had to stop him, for his own good.

"Naruto, do you understand what you're saying? If you're not careful….What happened to becoming Hokage? Have you given up on your dream?"

Naruto just smiled when he turned to see Granny Tsunade standing at her position. Of course she was worried. He knew who his birth mother was, but growing up, Tsunade was the main mother-figure in his life. "I never give up on my dreams," he blithely responded. "It's just….As I tend to say, how can I become Hokage when I can't even save my friend?"

Tsunade just looked at him with disbelief. He was completely serious. However, before she could object any further, Mifune spoke up.

"I suspect, then, that your testimony is thusly concluded, Naruto-dono?"

He was met by a grave nod. "Y-Yeah. That's pretty much it. I can't say any more without starting to sound totally redundant or something. Just….Please. Think about what I said."

With this, Mifune addressed the assembled Kage, "Alright. Before we vote, would anyone like more time to think things over in light of this new testimony?"

"No," responded Raikage, "We should just get this over with. If we wait around too long, who knows what could happen."

"Is that alright with everyone?" asked the old samurai. When he was met with nods from all four of the remaining Kages, he commenced the vote. "All in favor of the execution of Uchiha Sasuke, raise your hands." When no one did, Mifune raised an eyebrow and continued. "Alright….All against?" This time, the Hokage, Kazekage and Mizukage raised their hands.

"Hmmm….It really would've been such a _waste_ if he did die, wouldn't it?" mused the Mizukage.

Tsunade and Gaara merely smiled at Naruto quickly.

However, there was one more raised hand, one that was unexpected- the Raikage's. "I want to see exactly what it is you plan on doing," he told Naruto. "Apparently your little friend here has to be alive for that," he said of Sasuke, with a slight hint of disdain as he turned to the raven-haired shinobi. "It's not like you actually kidnapped my brother, anyway, so I have no personal vendetta against you."

Naruto just stared at them in wonder. "So, wait….You mean…?"

Sasuke merely chuckled. "Yes, loser. It means you just saved my life….._again_."

Tsunade rose from her seat, looking as stern as ever. "Although you won't be executed, Sasuke," she said, "I still have to pass my own judgment, for you are from Konohagakure, the village which I preside over…..Which means that this pertains to Naruto, as well, given his promise."

Sasuke nodded. "I understand. What is it?"

"I see no reason to extend this to Naruto, but you, Sasuke, will be stripped of any and all prior rank and accomplishment you held as a ninja, to live as a civilian, for as long as it takes for Konoha to trust you again. It could be a few weeks, perhaps a few years, perhaps _for the rest of your life_," she said, "And you are under house arrest unless under the eye of both Naruto and Kakashi. Even so, you will be constantly watched by the ANBU. I believe in Naruto, but a little extra precaution never hurt. This is my judgment. Do you accept it?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yes….I do."

Meanwhile, in his hidden base which he called Yamigakure, Tobi was very pleased with the turn of events. He had been able to watch the meeting this whole time, and nearly stepped in, though Naruto did a good enough job on his own. "Good," he murmured. "Just like Hashirama, the boy is able to rally people to his cause….To make them believe what he says. However….I wonder how long he can last, under these conditions….And with a spy in their midst?"

Suddenly, Zetsu melted out of the ground. "The other members are ready," he said.

"Alright," replied Tobi. "It's time we had our own meeting…The first meeting of the Hakumei-the dusk that shall bring forth the end of this age."

* * *

I'm not 100% sure you got this from the ending, but "Hakumei" means "Dusk" in Japanese, like "Akatsuki" means "Dawn".

As always, rate and review! Sorry for the lateness!


	10. A Movement in the Shadows!

Of course, I still don't own Naruto...Though by now, I half-wish I did (only half because I might screw it up if I'm not careful).

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Chapter 10- A Movement in the Shadows!

As Tobi walked into his own meeting area, he surveyed the members of his new organization, Hakumei. Jiro was there, along with the brothers Fujin and Raijin. Counting himself, Zetsu and Kabuto, the organization had six members. Tobi wanted to gain a few more members before he was comfortable enough to start having the organization act overtly.

"Alright," he said. "Let's begin. Our attempt to gain control of the Tools of the Sage has failed. They are currently being divided amongst the villages. This could work to our advantage, however. We should keep ourselves updated on the situation."

Fujin spoke up at that point. "What I don't understand is, why don't we use the Magic Lantern Body jutsu to meet? After all, you have the Rinnegan, Tobi-sama."

Tobi nodded at his subordinate. "What you say is true; I am fully capable of that jutsu. However, I choose not to utilize it for now given that we have fewer members than I would like to have before we reveal our presence to the rest of the world. They will be looking for us, after all, especially after what you three have done for us already. Jiro gave them a taste of our power, while you and Raijin acquired a substantial number of foot soldiers for us to use. If we're going to enhance the intensity of our actions, we must ensure that we first have a solid group. Four more members should be enough to accomplish this."

"Ten members, huh?" thought Kabuto, "He's planning to structure this group like the Akatsuki, then, isn't he?"

Jiro grunted. "Heh, in that case, I know one person we should recruit," he said, pulling out a small marionette version of a teenage girl with long hair and black clothes. "Few can match my abilities. Fewer can thwart them. Therefore, whenever I meet someone I consider to be a worthy opponent, I make a marionette to commemorate the battle. This is one such puppet. Its counterpart is a young Suna kunoichi by the name of Amaya. She is still a genin, so I could possibly take her and mold her well enough to serve our purposes," he said darkly, while causing the marionette to dance before their eyes.

"If we're volunteering suggestions, I have one," Kabuto said quietly. "However, this one is special. I must be paired with her, should she join. If I am not there to keep her in check, she may prove unstable."

"Is that right?" asked Tobi, clearly suspicious of his bespectacled partner.

"Yes," came the reply. "She is very powerful…..For she was born of Sasuke's DNA. I should know...For _I_ created her."

Elsewhere, in one of Orochimaru's abandoned bases, a body stirred in the now-dilapidated bio-engineering laboratory. Kabuto and Orochimaru had developed a rudimentary stasis pod, in which bodies could be preserved for later experimentation, and kept alive if necessary. However, all but one of those bodies was now dead, for most of the pods had been compromised. Only one pod remained intact. Inside, a pair of crimson eyes snapped open: the Sharingan.

The owner of this pair of the cursed eyes panicked at the sight of being submerged. She had some sort of breathing apparatus, but the air tasted stale. She had to get out. Suddenly, a memory flashed through her mind. An ashen-haired shinobi was standing before her. He had one eye covered, and looked as if he were half-asleep, but she somehow knew not to underestimate him, though she had no conscious recollection of him. Not waiting for her to remember who he was, the masked ninja began lecturing her as if he were teaching her something.

"When your body is exhausted or paralyzed, it becomes difficult to defend yourself or even move if need be. When this occurs, you have to open the first of the Eight Inner Gates, the Gate of Opening. This gate is located in the brain, so focus your chakra there and force it open."

"Gates"? "Chakra"? The girl had absolutely no idea what her apparent sensei meant, but she figured she may as well try to follow his commands. Struggling to move her stiff arms, she formed a Tiger handseal, as her apparent sensei did, and concentrated. She felt the energy within herself move; a feeling she assumed was due to the substance her sensei referred to as "chakra". Feeling pressure in a certain part of her head, she pushed harder. Suddenly, the "gate" he had referred to opened, and she felt strength flood into her body and promptly smashed through the pane of glass keeping her trapped, washing her out of her cylindrical prison.

Once she had regained her wits, she removed the breathing apparatus. She was in a dark room, with a great many other similar tubes. Looking back at her own, she noticed what seemed to be a name printed on the side: Kagami.

"'….Kagami,'" she thought. "Is that my name?"

It had to be. She didn't remember any other. The others that floated around in her mind- "Naruto", "Sakura", Kakashi", "Itachi"…None felt very personal, though they managed to leave bitter tastes in her mouth, as if she knew and missed the people connected to them somehow, though she had absolutely no idea who they were.

She decided to check the tube next to hers, but to her horror, what peered out at her from within absolutely toxic-looking liquid were a pair of empty eyesockets, surrounded by what appeared to be decaying flesh. A quick look told her that her tube had been the only one capable of supporting life. Feeling a chill, she hugged herself to keep warm, while looking down to see what she was wearing…..Or rather, she _would have_ seen what she was wearing, if she was actually wearing anything at all.

"Wet…..And naked. That's not a good combination, especially in this drafty place," she said aloud to herself. There was no one to talk to, but she was beginning to feel very edgy. The fact that she had awoken in what now appeared to be a tomb didn't help matters. "Clothes," she said. "I need clothes."

Luckily, she eventually stumbled into the residential quarters of the deserted base. Her instincts hadn't been mistaken yet, so she figured she could trust them. Eventually, she came to a room that looked like it belonged to someone important. For some reason, she felt a degree of ownership over the room, but she dismissed her inexplicably possessive feelings as the agitations of a person who was still dripping wet, and now chilled almost to the bone. Forcing the door open, she entered the room. The first thing she saw was the mirror. It was a full-body mirror, though the rest of the room's contents suggested the previous occupant was male. Kagami didn't even try to figure out why there was a full-body mirror in a man's room; opting to look herself over with it. Briefly, however, she saw a man's body- a body that, somehow, looked uncannily like hers, thought it was gone when she blinked. After finding nothing amiss and drying off with a towel she managed to find, she rummaged through the drawers. She managed to find a pair of men's boxers, a blue shirt with a high collar and a design not unlike a fan on the back, and a pair of white shorts. After dressing in these, she looked at herself again. The shirt fit decently, but it hung off of her chest and left a small portion of her stomach exposed. The boxers and shorts were an awkward fit, having been made for a man's body, but she managed by wearing them slightly lower on her hips than she decided she usually would. They would have to do for now. She would exit this place and find better clothes. Stepping into a pair of sandals she happened to see in the same room, she noticed that they, too, were a close fit, but not totally accurate to her body, as they were slightly large.

"Oh well," she said nonchalantly to herself. "One more thing on the to-do list."

Everything prior to her awakening was a big blank, so the best thing she could do for herself was to stay at least moderately optimistic. She did have a few memories, but for some reason, she never felt like they really belonged to her. She sat down on the nearby bed to collect her thoughts. She remembered an annoying blond boy dressed in a gaudy shade of orange, and a pink-haired girl who she and the blond boy apparently constantly saved. However, one thing stood out to her as odd. For some reason, she was sure that her name was Kagami, but positively _everyone_ in her "memories" kept referring to her as "Sasuke"…A name that felt both foreign and familiar at the same time.

"Who is this 'Sasuke'?" she asked herself. Standing, she muttered, "I've gotta get out of here."

Ryoji and his partner Kenta, chunin-level Konohagakure sensor-nin, had been assigned to watch the area around the hideout for some time now. However, the village was calling them back, something about an emergency situation. However, the sudden emergence of a figure dashing out of the hideout caught Ryoji's attention.

"Hey Kenta," he said to his friend as they packed their camping gear.

"Yeah?" came the gruff reply.

"Did you….feel something? Just now, from the hideout?"

"Hey, Ryoji….You and I both know that that hideout has been abandoned for a long time now. There was no sign of life, even when our team checked. And don't start repeating your weird theories about how there was a hidden room or whatever. Our team has spilled blood scouring that place from top to bottom. There was some pretty freaky stuff. There _can't_ be—"

"Just shut up and check!" Ryoji interrupted his partner.

"Jeez, _fine_," replied Kenta with disdain. "But you're carrying my knapsack along with yours for the first leg of the journey home if I don't sense anything," he continued, forming the Ram handseal. Much to his annoyance and shock, there was a clear trail of chakra leading away from the hideout. It was fresh, too. Someone had neglected to reseal their Gate of Opening.

"_Well_?" asked Ryoji impatiently.

"Shut up and come on," grunted Kenta.

Whoever this was, they weren't to be messed with. Their orders were to report back immediately, anyway. They would just tell the higher-ups when they got back.

"We're double-timing it to Konoha," he stated bluntly. "And it looks like I'm carrying my own knapsack, after all."

Back at the Summit Hall, as Mifune was thinking of christening it, the Kages and their entourages were preparing for the long journey home. Gaara came up to Naruto and Sasuke as the latter was subjected to nonstop chatter from the former while his shackles were undone.

"So, what do you plan on doing now?" he asked Naruto, point-blank.

"Hmm," mused the jinchuriki. "I dunno, gotta get back to the village first! Then I gotta set my sights on stopping that Tobi guy, though I really should help things between Sasuke and the village to calm down first," he said, grinning.

"And becoming Hokage?" continued Gaara. He wasn't about to let his friend forget his childhood goal when he hadn't explicitly let go of it.

"Well _duh_," Naruto replied blithely. "But I have to help Sasuke and stop Tobi first! Right, Sasuke?"

"Heh," chuckled Sasuke as he rubbed his wrists where the shackles had been. "Whatever you want. It's worked out so far, hasn't it?"

"Ugh, same old Sasuke," Naruto groaned. "You could at least _try_ to sound grateful or something, ya know?"

"_Believe_ me, I'm grateful. I just don't wanna sound all mushy or whatever. That's Sakura's department," he said nonchalantly.

"_Hey_," Naruto bristled. "Don't you even _think_ of her that way. Do you have _any_ idea of what she's gone through for you?"

Gaara wasn't sure, but he could have sworn that the feeling of the air changed when Naruto said that.

"Yeah, sorry," said Sasuke, raising his hands in front of himself. "I guess I just got too used to talking that way."

"Well, we gotta change that!" Naruto said. "It'll take forever for people to warm up to you _that_ way!"

"I thought that was your job?" Sasuke jabbed back.

Gaara left Naruto and Sasuke as they were, smiling. They had finally reconciled, at least for the most part. He was satisfied just seeing them back to their old selves, at least to the degree of being able to trade barbs again. Going to where the other Kages were gathered and waiting, he listened as the Raikage and Mifune worked out a time for emissaries from each of the other villages to pick up the Tools of the Sage. Each Kage would send teams of four headed by their accompanying jonin as soon as they arrived back at their own villages. They would all keep in constant contact with Kumo, especially if the teams needed to be delayed for whatever reason. It all sounded like a pretty solid plan. The teams would come in and check in with Kumogakure's Security Division, pick up their allotted weapon, wait for the other villages' teams to arrive and do the same, and then all of them would simultaneously hasten back to their villages as quickly as possible to avoid thieves and whoever was organizing attacks on their villages. Mifune would assign squads of samurai, also in groups of four, to bolster the security of each Weapon Retrieval Unit. All twenty samurai, hand-picked by Mifune, would be stationed in Kumogakure until the team from their assigned village arrived. The samurai team assigned to Kumogakure would stand guard the entire time, until the final village's team arrived and secured their Tool. They would then disband as a squad, and each would go with the other four teams, to bring the samurai total on each village's team to five, for a total of nine members per squad overall.

"Huh, seems a little like overkill," mused Tsuchikage. "But…I guess we're better off that way…..I'd rather end up using too much overall manpower for something this important than ending up not using enough and getting the damn thing stolen."

"Yes," agreed Tsunade. "I like this plan. However, I propose an amendment to the plan- each village should be put into lockdown mode. No ninja should be allowed in or out, barring the Weapon Retrieval Units, unless deemed absolutely necessary by the respective Kage. Also, each Kage should not be permitted to leave his or her village upon returning, until the weapons are safely in their villages. Each Kage should be held accountable for their own actions, as well as the actions of their village during this time."

Raikage huffed. "I suppose you included yourself in those new rules, Hokage? Because, no offense, but after meeting that power-monger Danzo, I can't help but think Konoha trying to make rules for the other villages is…..Odd."

"Yes, of course I include myself in my rules, and I apologize once again for Danzo's actions. I think that he honestly believed he was acting in the best interest of Konoha, but was going about things the wrong way. To be completely honest, it's suspected that he had hypnotized the Fire Daimyo into promoting him to Acting Hokage while I was comatose following Akatsuki's invasion of Konoha."

"Very well," Mifune said. "I think the war established exactly how reliable Konoha ninja are, particularly Hokage-dono here. If no one has any objections or anything further to add, we should adjourn so that I may gather my samurai and pick out squads to assist your Weapons Retrieval Units.

No one had anything else to say, so the group separated. The Raikage's group would leave last, to escort the platoon of samurai to Kumogakure. Everyone else said their goodbyes and left for their respective villages.

"Wow, that got really intense just now, didn't it?" mused Naruto.

"Yeah, it did," muttered Kakashi. "I wonder just what happened?"

Just then, as Shizune was going over the intelligence report pertaining to the other day's jailbreak, Ryoji and Kenta burst into the Hokage's Office, which she was borrowing as Tsunade's appointed stand-in.

"Shizune-san! We've got a problem!" shouted Kenta. "There's been some movement in the Orochimaru Base we were assigned to watch!"

Needless to say, Shizune was _not_ pleased. Not only did Intel _just_ finish compiling a report, she had gotten word that Tsunade-sama was on her way back to the village. She was _not_ about to look incompetent when the woman who was her mentor, employer and surrogate mother had given her such a huge responsibility in her absence. "Tell me _everything_," she ordered, glaring at them intensely. For all her neuroses, cuteness and occasional ditziness, Shizune could be pretty intimidating when she wanted to be.

"Y-Yes ma'am!" came the reply.

When he finished, Shizune pinched the bridge of her nose. "Of all the things that could've happened," she groaned exasperatedly. Make sure you submit an official report. I want to at least have it in my hands before Tsunade-sama returns tomorrow!

With the introduction of this new figure, Shizune could already tell that life was a long way from being simple and peaceful again.

* * *

Dun dun DUUUUN! Haha. How was it? Sorry it was so late...Please, rate and review!


	11. Stolen Memories!

Another new chapter! Let's see what happens!

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Chapter 11- Stolen Memories!

The next day, when Tsunade returned to Konoha, she immediately issued the lockdown order and sent out Kakashi and Shikaku with Gai and Neji to acquire their weapon. Minutes after, she had been informed by Shizune of all that had occurred in her absence, including the movement from Orochimaru's old lair.

"You're certain?" asked the Hokage.

"Y-yes, Tsunade-sama. The sensor-nins that were previously stationed there witnessed it just yesterday, while preparing to return here. They decided it would be wiser to inform us and send someone more capable of handling the situation. They suggested in their report that we should send in a combat-ready unit."

Tsunade nodded. "I see. Very well then," she said, trailing off as she read the report. There really wasn't much to read, as the two sensors had only seen the chakra trail and felt its intensity. After some consideration, she turned back to Shizune. "Alright. Bring me Uzumaki Naruto and Shikamaru Nara, right now."

When they had been brought to her, Tsunade addressed Naruto first. "I know we just returned from the Land of Iron, Naruto….But something's come up. I need to ask you, do you feel up for a very important mission right now?"

The answer she got was quite reassuring, given the circumstances. "Sure, of course!"

"Good. Now, Shikamaru, I want you to lead a team consisting of Naruto and two others for a capture mission, with possibility of combat."

"What kind of combat are we talking about, here?" asked Shikamaru.

"The kind you'd need Naruto for," responded Tsunade bluntly. "Now, hurry, gather up a squad and return to me for confirmation. This needs to be done as soon as possible. We are dealing with a potentially great asset, or perhaps even enemy, to Konoha, and by extension the Shinobi Alliance as a whole."

Leaving the office, Naruto scratched his head. "Yeesh," he said. "Wonder what's got Granny so worked up?"

"Whatever it is, it's gotta be big," replied his friend. "Let's hurry up and do what she said."

After some brainstorming, they decided to take a scout and a medic along with them. They would proceed in Manji Formation, and initially their scout would take point, so that they could quickly locate and get to their target, with Naruto protecting their flank while Shikamaru coordinated their actions from one side, and their medic kept an eye on everyone's well-being and stamina from the other. When they engaged the target, Naruto would take point, being the strongest member almost by default, while Shikamaru served as his main support. They concluded that it would be optimal to bring a scout and medic who were capable of combat, just in case more backup was necessary. With this in mind, they first decided to recruit Sakura, whose medical abilities were second only to the Hokage's own- something they might need on this mission, Shikamaru figured, for they were going into this situation without rightly knowing what they were up against.

"Alright," said Shikamaru once they'd briefed their pink-haired friend on the mission details. "Now we just need one more: the scout."

"What about a Hyuga?" asked Naruto. "They're usually pretty strong, right?"

"Good point, Naruto," replied Sakura, "But Neji is currently en route to Kumo with Kakashi-sensei and the others."

"Then we could get Hinata, duh," countered Naruto. "I mean, Neji's great, but he's not the _only_ Hyuga we know. Hinata can see great distances, right? So, wouldn't she be better for this mission, anyway?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Let's pick her up, then head back to the Hokage's office. We're taking longer than I would've liked."

They found Hinata outside the Ninja Tools shop. She had just purchased a new hip-mounted weapons pouch for herself, to replace the one that had been damaged during her previous mission. She was totally engrossed in contemplating how horrible her luck was, in that she had heard Naruto was being sent out on an emergency mission after just having returned from the Summit. News traveled fast in Konoha- almost as fast as the summer wind could run its course through the streets. She was happy for him that he had saved Sasuke, but she would've been happier if he had had the time to come see her afterward, even to brag about it. In fact, she would've probably enjoyed his bragging; she always had. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts of Naruto, that she managed to walk right into him while coming out of the store.

"Oof!' they both grunted.

"N-Naruto?" Hinata exclaimed, her eyes widening and her face reddening.

Sakura noticed, glancing at Hinata's carotid artery, that her pulse was quickening as well. She made a mental note to give her friend a check up the next time she had the chance.

"Haha, yeah, it's me," laughed Naruto. "Hey, listen. I need you for something."

"Y-your mission…?" Hinata guessed, prompting a surprised blink from Naruto. "Uh, yeah. How'd you know?"

"I….I just heard," she managed. Naruto was _personally requesting_ her help on his mission! It was all she could do to not break into a grin, which she could tell from his expression would not have been appropriate. Instead, she opted to smile slightly, her face deepening in shade to a rosy pink, a fact which did not go unnoticed by the object of her affections.

"H-hey, you alright?" he asked cautiously, placing a hand on her forehead.

Hinata started to feel dizzy and hot, as her face deepened in color once again. For all of his good points, Naruto had no concept of personal space. "I-I-I'm f-fine," she said, taking a step backward and steadying herself.

Shikamaru took a step forward. "Not that I really wanna kill the mood, you guys," he said, "But we need to get a move on. Hinata, if you're really alright, we need you to come with us to see the Hokage. "

Tsunade approved the group immediately, and sent them out, ordering Shizune to send a message detailing the development to Kumo. They had already informed them of the events that came to pass during the Summit, and informed them of the emergency mission. This message was just to detail who was being sent. Due to the intensity of the situation, she classified it as an A-Rank mission. Once the team was ready, they met at the gate and left the village.

Within a day, there were just a few hours away from the hideout.

"We'll rest here for the night," ordered Shikamaru. "Tomorrow we'll continue searching for the target. Hinata, you take first watch. Wake Sakura up in a few hours, she'll take second watch, and I'll take third. That way, after your respective turns, you both can sleep until it's time for us to mobilize in the morning."

A little while later, Hinata was startled by a familiar voice addressing her. "Hey, Hinata." The voice was unmistakably Naruto's.

"N-Naruto? You should be asleep," she said.

"Yeah, I know," said the orange-clad shinobi, plopping down next to her. "I couldn't, though."

Hinata activated her Byakugan so that she could keep an eye on the area, since Naruto probably wanted to talk to her, meaning she couldn't trust their security to her ears.

"Look," he said. "I've been thinking….About what you said. You know, before?"

"What is he talking about?" she thought to herself. "You mean….When we fought Pein?" she asked.

"Y-yeah. I, uh…I dunno. I guess I kinda….Well what I mean to say is….Dammit, this is so awkward to say!" he complained, sprawling out on the ground.

"Naruto," Hinata said, "Are you responding to my confession?"

Instantly, he perked up. "Yeah! Yeah, that's what I'm doing. I, uh…."

"I'm sorry Naruto, but now is not the time," she said. "I love you, and I really, honestly want to hear your answer to my confession. In fact, I'm _dying_ to hear it. It's been months! But…."

"'But'?" came the wary reply.

"Do you honestly think that _now_ is the best time to have this conversation? When we're in the field, in danger of being attacked at any moment? I love you, really I do, but I can't help but feel that now is simply not the time. We could jeopardize the success of the mission. You know what Hokage-sama said. The target could either be a powerful ally or a dangerous enemy. Please understand."

Naruto was silent for a short while, making Hinata worried he was upset at her for interrupting him like that.

She was torn. Half of her wanted to apologize, to take back what she had just said. However, the more rational part of her told her that she had been correct. This really wasn't the time for confessions of love. Luckily, apparently Naruto's rational side was on the same wavelength.

"Yeah….Okay," he said in a slightly crestfallen voice. "You're right…..But I still need to tell you, alright?"

"Alright," she confirmed. She wanted to hear it, just not right then.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully for their group. However, not too far away, their target was battling visions of the past.

Kagami had been training nonstop ever since she had left the hideout, but every time she "remembered" an ability, it was taught to her by someone talking to Sasuke. Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke. It was all about Sasuke. No one ever said _her_ name. It was driving her mad that she apparently had no memory of her own, except some vague image of a bespectacled man. Who was he? Why couldn't she remember? Even as she tried to sleep, images of Sasuke's past assailed her. Be it eating ramen with Naruto and Sakura, or perhaps spending time with Itachi as a little kid, she was never free from the assault. Some memories were helpful, however, such as those of his habits and tendencies. Much like Sasuke, she vented her frustrations by training. She also set a goal for herself- find this "Sasuke", and find out exactly who he is, and why she had his memories. By now, she had achieved a degree of mastery with the basic Sharingan, and learned to use Chidori. She could do all the taijutsu techniques she remembered Sasuke being able to do. The only problem was, her chakra level was still too low to sustain constant training without rest. Given that she couldn't sleep without "remembering" something from Sasuke's past, she could immediately tell it would be a long night.

Back in Konoha, Sasuke was having a rough time as well. He'd managed to fall asleep, but for some reason, every time he dreamed, he either dreamed he was in a chilly tomb-like facility, or in a forest, feeling frustrated and exhausted. He would talk to himself, muttering his own name angrily, but there was a problem- the voice was that of a female. Needless to say, he, too was finding continuous sleep unobtainable. He was about to go out and train, but he then realized he could not. "Damn," he said aloud. "I'm under house arrest, aren't I." "_Great_," he thought. "I'm talking to myself. Lovely." He decided to turn on the TV in his room, which, oddly enough, still worked. He didn't like what he saw.

"And in other news," announced the overly-cheerful voice of a news anchor. "The international criminal, Uchiha Sasuke, has finally been apprehended!"

No matter how many channels he checked, his name was all over the news, and news programs were the only thing that seemed to be playing that night. Switching off the TV and angrily throwing aside the remote control, he decided to read a book as he contemplated exactly what was going on.

The next morning, the team from Konoha woke up fairly early. Shikamaru had structured the watch schedule so that Naruto was on last watch. Given his natural energy, this was no problem. After waiting for the sun to climb to what he judged was the seven o'clock position, he woke up his teammates. They hadn't moved far when Hinata motioned for the entire group to stop and crouch down near her.

"This is going to sound strange, but I recognize the chakra signature ahead," she whispered to her teammates.

"Oh yeah? Well, great! So whose is it?"

Hinata's eyes darkened. "It's definitely the target's," she said, "But the chakra…..It looks just like…..Like Sasuke's."

Her teammates were dumbfounded.

"Th-that's impossible!" whispered Sakura. "Check again!"

"I _did_ check again. By now, I've checked five separate times—"

"Well, check _again_! Sasuke is back in Konoha- there's no _way_ his chakra could be all the way out here!"

"It _does_ seem a little odd," Shikamaru said. "Are you sure?"

Tears formed in Hinata's eyes. She had been afraid of this. They didn't seem to trust her judgment, just like she figured would happen. Even Naruto wasn't saying anything. Why did Neji have to be busy? He probably wouldn't have made the same mistake. Either this was the biggest, most humiliating mistake she had ever made, or—

"I _said_, 'check again'!" Sakura hissed at her long-haired friend, interrupting the latter's train of thought.

Naruto put a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "That's _enough_," he told her. "What does it matter whose chakra it is? It _does_ sound strange that Sasuke's chakra is here, but then, weren't there those guys from Kumo that had Kyubi's chakra? Maybe whoever this is just has a portion of Sasuke's chakra or something. Whatever is going on here, we should trust Hinata. It's not like either of us can do what she's doing."

"But I thought you could sense things in Jinchuriki Mode!" "

That's true, but think of how bright and noticeable my aura becomes when I do that. Other than Jinchuriki Mode, which obviously isn't an option here, I can't sense anything better than a normal ninja."

Shikamaru just stared at him. Was Naruto….Thinking tactically?

Hinata did her own share of staring. Naruto was defending her!

"Now, then," Naruto continued, "We're on the home stretch! We just gotta capture the target and head back to the village! If we fight each other now, doesn't that give the target that much of an advantage? They must be scary strong if Granny was okay with sending all four of us against one person. We need to be at our best for this!"

"_I_ happen to be leading this team, Naruto," quipped Shikamaru, "But you're right. Hinata, we need more details. Describe the target, other than his or her ch-"

"_Her_. It's a girl," said Hinata, activating her Byakugan. This was it- Naruto was actively cheering for her again, just like when she fought Neji when they were younger. She would not fail- no, she simply _could_ not fail. "She seems really tired. Right now, even, she's just lying there. If our….discussion…..just now didn't wake her up, we might be able to sneak up on her."

Unfortunately, that possibility was dashed when their target stirred.

"Ngh," Kagami groaned as she hefted herself up from the ground. She had trained and trained the previous night until she collapsed from exhaustion. What was worse was, she had the nagging feeling that she was being watched. That feeling was confirmed by a rustle in the bushes some distance away. "Who's there?" Kagami yelled. "Come out and show yourself, coward!"

As if awaiting the order, a squadron of orange-clad ninja leapt up around her. Time seemed to slow down. This was the "Naruto" from her visions of Sasuke's life, using his trademark Kage Bunshin jutsu. As soon as she dispatched the last doppleganger, Kagami turned to see the genuine article rushing at her, aura blazing.

"Haaa!" Naruto yelled as he dashed forward, Rasengan primed.

Kagami neatly sidestepped the attack, but couldn't move afterward.

"Gotcha," said a husky voice behind her. Shikamaru forced her to turn and face him. "Shadow Possession Jutsu….Successful. Do it, Hinata!"

Suddenly, Kagami felt the air around her change slightly. Managing to turn her head slightly, she saw the Hyuga heiress appear behind her, entering into a low stance.

"Eight Trigrams…Two Palms! Four Palms! Eight Palms! Sixteen Palms! Thirty-two Palms!" Each cluster of strikes stung, and the number of individual strikes doubled each time. Kagami could feel the energy leaving her as her chakra points were sealed. "Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms!"

_**THWACK.**_

****  
"Ghrk!"

The final strike saw Kagami crumple to the ground in a heap with a pained grunt. Shikamaru had had two points blocked as well, for he held onto Kagami until the first phase of the attack hit, so as to ensure she couldn't get away. Hinata just stood there for a few moments, with the chakra aura she heldher hands blazing.

"Way to go, Hinata!" Naruto cheered.

That had been the plan all along- he would fake out the target, while Shikamaru trapped her and Hinata knocked her out. Sakura was standing by in case something went wrong.

"I didn't know you could do Sixty-four Palms! I thought you said you only got up to Thirty-two!" he continued, grinning as he jogged up to her.

Suddenly, the chakra flames in her hands went out, and Hinata fell to the ground as her knees buckled. "First….time….." she managed exhaustedly as Naruto helped her up.

Since they were pressed for time, Naruto and Sakura tied up their prisoner while Hinata unblocked the chakra points she had blocked in Shikamaru's body.

Sakura came up to her. "Here," she said, offering Hinata a Soldier Pill. "We need to get back as soon as possible, so you'll need your energy back up," she said, then paused.

"Oh, and….Sorry…..About what I said earlier. I didn't mean to—"

"It's alright," the other girl cut her off. "I understand. You had only _just_ gotten Sasuke back, after all. I would have probably done the same if our situations were switched and her chakra was like _Naruto's_ instead."

"Hey, you guys comin'?" called Shikamaru as he helped to lift Kagami onto Naruto's back.

"Yeah, coming!" Sakura replied. "C'mon, Hinata….Let's go home."

With that, the two girls ran over to join the boys in transporting the prisoner home. Little did any of them know, the chaos was only just beginning.

* * *

Hopefully you liked the NaruHina bits...And if you didn't, don't flame.


	12. The Broken Mirror!

Naruto wanted to say hello. =^_^=

* * *

Chapter 12- The Broken Mirror!

When Kagami awakened, the smell of medical products assailed her nose. It was actually quite similar to the smells she had experienced in the tomb-like complex in which she had first awakened, though the associated chemicals and equipment smelled newer. Sure enough, she was lying in a hospital cot, her body stiff and numb. After struggling for a few minutes to crane her neck to look at herself, she noticed that her ill-fitting outfit had been replaced with a hospital gown. Looking at what she could see of her body, she noticed that her torso was covered in red pock-marks, as if she had contracted some sort of disease. A few dull, needle-like pains in her back told her that her torso wasn't the only place where the pock-marks existed. Then she remembered- that other girl had hit her with some sort of attack that had drained her energy. Were all these pock-marks a result of that? As she pondered her situation, her captors met with the Hokage.

"Great job, all of you," she told them warmly. "That was a fantastic strategy you employed. And Hinata, I'm sure your father would be very excited to hear of your progress."

"Haha, you think so?" she asked innocently, blushing slightly.

Sakura stole a quick glance at her friend. Yes, there it was again- her pulse was quickening. She knew that she should give Hinata that check-up as soon as possible.

"Yes, I do," replied Tsunade, completely serious. "I'm deeming this mission a success. More good news- by now, the Weapon Retrieval Unit is en route back to Konoha."

Naruto grinned. "Awesome! We're doing pretty good, aren't we?"

"Pretty _well," _Sakura corrected. "But yeah, we are," she finished, smiling.

"I think, to reward you for completing this important mission, promotions in order. Some of you have gone above and beyond on this mission, and for one of you, I've actually had my eye on for a long time now."

Naruto grinned. "Woo-hoo!" he shouted.

"Unfortunately, Naruto, I need to see more leadership from you before I can finalize my decision," Tsunade said.

"Awww," the jinchuriki whined. "Well, whatever! At least I got the recognition for my part!" he said, grinning.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," Tsunade thought. "If I could have had my way, you'd already be at least a tokubetsu jonin." Her mind traveled back to the Kage Summit, when she and the other Kage were about to disperse.

Ao had spoken up, saying "Pardon me, Hokage-sama, but…"

"But what?" she had asked him.

"Those two….I couldn't help but notice their auras. Both of them seem extremely strong- perhaps approaching the levels of Uchiha Madara and your grandfather, the First Hokage."

Tsunade had balked at the idea, and after some slight debate, it was decided that the best thing to do was to keep Naruto and Sasuke together as much as possible, so that they could cancel each other out if need be.

"Hokage-sama?" Hinata said in her usual quiet voice. "Is everything alright?"

She had let her thoughts overtake her in the middle of the debriefing. "Ahem," she coughed. "Where was I?...Ah, right. Promotions," she said, smiling. "I'm sorry…..It's just that I got caught up thinking about the past," she said, smiling sheepishly. "Anyway…Nara Shikamaru! For your constant display of skill in the areas of leadership and strategy, along with your prowess on the battlefield, I hereby appoint you to the position of jonin!" she exclaimed as he bowed respectfully. "As for you, Hyuga Hinata," she continued, "You have attained jonin-level prowess in your overall taijutsu and chakra control. While you have not exhibited leadership to the degree that would befit a jonin, what I have seen from you is enough for me to appoint you to the position of tokubetsu jonin!"

Hinata's eyes widened. Sure, Shikamaru had been promoted all the way to jonin, but tokubetsu jonin weren't anything to sneeze at. Besides, all she'd have to do to catch up to Shikamaru, or even to her cousin, Neji, would be to work even harder and hone her skills even more.

"And, finally, Haruno Sakura," continued the Hokage. "You have shown great prowess in healing. Your skills may even be better than those of some jonin. However, you, too, have not shown me that you are ready to lead a team the way a jonin needs to. You follow orders well enough, but when you're in charge, you tend to let your emotions get to you, which is very dangerous in the field, even if you're nigh-invincible like Naruto is," she said, gesturing to the fox-boy. "However, I have seen enough potential from you to promote you to tokubetsu jonin."

Sakura bowed quickly. "Th-thank you, Tsunade-sama," she said.

"Maaan," Naruto whined in thought. "All that, and I'm _still a genin?"_

As the four teens took their leave of the Hokage's office, Shikamaru stopped them.

"Hey guys," he said, getting them to turn around and face him.

"What's up?" asked Naruto.

"What, do you want us to call you 'Shikamaru-senpai' or something, just because you got a bigger promotion than Hinata and me?" teased Sakura.

"No, something more serious than that," he replied. "I really hate spoiling the mood or whatever, but…Didn't that battle seem a little…._too _easy?"

Naruto blinked. "Whaddya mean?"

Shikamaru held his chin thoughtfully. "I dunno. It's just….For someone with Sasuke's chakra, that girl just seemed too easy to take down. I mean, Sasuke's one of those opponents ya leave to someone like you, Naruto. So how come our plan worked as well as it did?"

"Now hold on," Sakura protested, "Are you saying you weren't actually expecting that to work?"

"Nah," came the calm reply, "I fully expected it to work, just not _as well_ as it did."

Hinata chose then to speak up, saying, "I also thought it was a little too easy. I mean, either Naruto or Sasuke could potentially break out of Shadow Possession. And as for my use of Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms, forget it- Either Naruto or Sasuke could've dodged it at their current skill level and had me at their mercy in the next instant."

Naruto balked. "But Hinata, I would never—"

"I know," responded the reticent kunoichi. "I was just saying, you and he are both that strong. My point was, that initial attack really shouldn't have been the end of the fight."

It was true. Shikamaru had planned for a battle that would have lasted the rest of the day, at least. He had ended up grossly overestimating their foe, something which had been bothering him all day. He was glad one of his squadmates felt the same.

"Well, okay," Naruto replied. "If that's the case, we should check it out, right? C'mon!" he said, dashing toward the hospital.

Shikamaru sighed. "Running in without thinking first…..Typical." he thought to himself as the rest of them strained to keep up with their teammate.

When they reconvened in the hospital lobby, Sakura grabbed Hinata's arm, startling the Hyuga heiress.

"S-Sakura?" gasped Hinata with a slight jump.

"Just as I thought," Sakura said. "When you get really surprised or agitated, your heartbeat speeds up and your consciousness wavers," she finished as she helped steady her friend, who remained silent.

"Is…Is that true, Hinata?" asked Naruto.

"That _would _explain the fainting and blushing," mused Shikamaru. "But what does that have to do with the current situation?"

"Not much," replied Sakura, "Except that it might affect her health and performance if she's not careful."

"I'll be _fine_, Sakura," Hinata said flatly. Clearly, no one was used to her taking this tone, for they were taken aback for a second. "Sorry," she apologized, "It's just, I really will be alright. Whether my own performance would've been affected or no, we should hurry up and check on our new 'friend'."

Shikamaru shook his head. "Not as long as you've got that condition. Get some rest; Naruto and I should be enough for this."

As the team was having this discussion, Kagami was busy forcing chakra through her system. Once she got the hang of it, she managed to unblock herself fairly quickly. It helped that there was an image of a young Naruto in her head, explaining to her how he defeated someone named "Neji", who could apparently use the same moves that the girl with the white eyes used on her just that morning. Though the images and misplaced memories were threatening to drive her positively insane, some were quite helpful. However, she would periodically get a blinding headache, something that hadn't happened out in the forest or the underground complex.

"What's so different here," she muttered to herself, "That the headaches are only happening now?" Just then, another wave of pain hit her. "Agh," she groaned as she fell to the floor, holding her head. The headaches were brief for now, but she was worried they'd get worse with time if she stayed where she was. "What are….they doing to me….?" She wondered. "I have to get out of here!" she thought. After a bit of panic, she began to look out of the window to see a clear street below. If only she could break through the wall….And if only her left eye would stop giving her a burning feeling. Finally, another helpful memory surfaced- one of Sasuke blasting black flames from his eye. When Naruto and Shikamaru reached her door, she was already nearly done invoking the jutsu, saying "Aman…terasu!"

**BLAM!**

All of a sudden, the outward-facing wall of the hospital room seemed to disappear. What rubble was left was alight with a jet-black flame. By the time Naruto and Shikamaru entered the room, this is how they found it, sans occupant. The unknown ninja was loose in Konoha. Not bothering to wait for the flames to go out, they rushed into the next room and leapt out from the window. They needed to find her, and quick. They still had absolutely no idea who she was, or where her allegiances, if any, lay. People's lives could be at stake. Not wanting to drag Sakura and Hinata any further into the situation than they already were, they decided not to double back for them. They would probably be needed to help evacuate whoever needed evacuation, anyway. Luckily, they managed to run into Kiba, and recruited him and Akamaru.

"Wait," said Naruto. "Maybe we should go get Sasuke? I mean, he _can _use Amanterasu and all that stuff. If she's bad news, he can help us take her down."

"D'ya think that's a good idea, though?" mused Kiba.

"Probably couldn't hurt," resolved Shikamaru. "Do it. Bring him along. I'll take responsibility if anything happens."

Naruto simply nodded. He had actually wanted to tell his friend that _he_ would be the one paying the price for any further misadventures on Sasuke's part, but he knew that there was no time for arguments.

When Naruto found his friend, he wasn't in good shape.

"Rrrgh," Sasuke growled, writhing on the floor as he clutched his head. He had been having searing headaches for a good while by that time.

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed, kneeling down next to his friend. "Are you alright?"

"Do….I…_look _alright?" he quipped in reply. Same old Sasuke. Even when he admitted something is wrong with him, there was no shortage of snark. "I've been having these nasty headaches for a little while now," he growled. "Only problem is, this one isn't going away."

Out of the blue, there was a crashing noise outside, along with the sounds of fighting.

"Ugh!" grunted Shikamaru as he slammed into the outer wall of the Uchiha complex. Kiba was lying, unconscious in the street a few feet away. Naruto could make out, through the cloud of dust, a female figure. However, this kunoichi looked highly unusual for two major reasons: she had Sharingan eyes and was dressed in only a hospital gown. There was the prisoner! Naruto didn't have much time to think it over, though, as the wall he was standing behind erupted.

**BOOM!**

Naruto was thrown backwards to where Sasuke was lying on the floor.

"Ngh," he groaned, struggling to his feet as his assailant marched in through the hole where the wall used to be.

"_You,"_she said, looking at Naruto. "I know this is the Uchiha compound in Konohagakure. Now tell me-_ Where is Uchiha Sasuke?"_

"R-right here," came the strained reply. Sasuke struggled to his feet behind Naruto. "And just who the hell are you?"

Holding one hand to her forehead, Kagami glared at Sasuke. "Augh…..This…..pain…._You're causing it, aren't you?" _she demanded.

"Actually, I was about to accuse you of the same," retorted Sasuke. "I was completely fine until Naruto here dragged you into the village."

"Enough!" shouted Kagami. "My- no, _your_ memories…..That underground base….This place, those faces…My head…..Feels like it's about to explode from the information! Who am I?_**TELL ME!" **_she bellowed. She felt a twinge in her right eye. "If you won't tell me," she said, "I'll just _make_ you tell me!" Then, simultaneously, the mysterious kunoichi and the former traitor trapped each other.

"**TSUKUYOMI!"**

After about a second, they both collapsed, totally unconscious. Unbeknownst to Naruto, who was frantically attempting to awaken them, they were still confronting each other…on the Tsukuyomi mental plane.

"Now, then, finally…I can find out why your name is so heavily involved with memories that are in _my _head_."_

"Interesting how you assume that _you _will be the one asking me anything. Why do you have my Mangekyo? Who are you? What are you?"

As the two Uchiha stared each other down, the dark clouds in the sky swirled, obscuring the crimson moon.

* * *

How do you like it so far? ^_^ Please, rate and review!


	13. The Truth!

I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Chapter 13- The Truth!

When the moon was completely obscured, the scene changed. Suddenly, they were both dressed as Sasuke would have dressed in his days starting out as a Konoha genin, standing in a clearing in the forest. Looking himself over, Sasuke had just enough time to see his apparent doppelganger charge at him.

"If you won't tell me on your own, I'll _make_ you!" she screamed as she rushed forward. She swung at him with a lunging hook, missing his jaw by inches as he stepped out of the way. It was like fighting himself- she'd swing, he'd react, and the reverse was also true. It was as if each one knew what the other was about to do. Neither one was making any visible headway in the battle, though at least the headaches were gone.

"Using taijutsu alone isn't going to help," Sasuke thought. "I don't know who she is, but I'd better end this quickly!"

Suddenly, they both retreated from each other a brief distance and made the Ox handseal.

"Are you _kidding_ me?" thought Sasuke, as she froze as well.

Suddenly, the battlefield changed again. This time, they were in the Chunin Exams Stadium, dressed just like Sasuke was on that day: a black, high-collared bodysuit, with their right arms wrapped in bandages and belts.

"What, _again_?" he heard her yell. "What do you think you're doing? You think this will give you the upper hand?"

"What is she _talking_ about?" wondered Sasuke. "Unless….Unless she's not the one changing around the scenery, as I originally thought." "Wait," he said, "I thought that was _you_."

"Yeah, right!" she retorted. "Why _would_ I?" she yelled, charging at him again, hoping to catch him off-guard with another punch.

"This will be a _long_ battle," Sasuke predicted. He was right.

"Sasuke! Hey!" Naruto shouted as he shook his friend. He had managed to lie him down so that he was next to the girl. Comparing them side-by-side, he noticed, they looked alike. The only real difference was their gender. One other similarity they shared was that neither of them would wake up, no matter how hard he shook them or how loud he called them. It didn't help that he had no idea what the girl's name was, if she even had one to begin with. He had sent Kage Bunshin clones to scoop up Shikamaru, Kiba and Akamaru to take them to Konoha's hospital so they could have their injuries treated, and another with a message for Sakura. He would be in the doghouse again in regard to his hot-tempered friend. Even worse, he'd probably even be in the doghouse in regard to Hinata, as well, and he'd never been in the doghouse with her before. However, he was also relieved that they were excluded- otherwise, he'd have to deal with the guilt if he got them hurt, too, when he already felt bad about Shikamaru and Kiba being down for the count.

All of a sudden, with a poof, Kakashi, Ino, and several ANBU troops appeared in the room.

"Naruto, are you alright?" asked Ino as Kakashi ordered the ANBU to stand guard. "Do you need healing?"

Naruto shook his head. "N-no, but I think Sasuke does. Not to be a jerk or anything, but what're you doing here? It's just that I sent for Sakura, what with her being involved and all…."

"Don't sweat it," said the blonde kunoichi nonchalantly. "It's fine. And Sakura's busy checking on patients. Until those Amanterasu flames went out, people were in hysterics. That's no good for patients trying to recover from field injuries and whatnot," she continued as she checked Sasuke and the mysterious girl for injuries. When she looked at their faces, she noticed that, periodically, one or both of them would grimace, as if someone had hit them. "How long have they been doing that?" she asked the jinchuriki.

"I dunno. Why, is it important?"

"Could be," she said, cradling Sasuke's head in her lap as she placed her hands on his temples and closed her eyes. Suddenly, she dropped his head back into her lap and winced. "Ugh," she groaned. "Definitely something going on here." Turning to Kakashi, she asked him, "Can I go get my dad? I think there's something up with their psyches, but I'll need another Yamanaka to be present for me to properly confirm my hunch…..Especially since it sounds insane."

"Tell me your hunch first," Kakashi said with his usual calm.

"They might be…..connected. I mean psychically. I don't really know how to explain it, but I seriously doubt either of them is waking up until either one of them dies, if I don't help them."

"Alright," replied the jonin. "But make it quick." T

hanking him, Ino placed a quick seal into the minds of the Uchiha duo, she rushed out.

As Ino raced to bring her father there, the two Uchiha continued to battle it out on the Tsukuyomi plane. By now, they were facing each other in the Valley of the End, both having taken the appearance of Sasuke's Curse Seal form. Kagami had trouble adapting to her new appearance, allowing Sasuke to gain the upper hand.

"Now I have you!" he roared as he raced forward. Catching her by the throat, he threw her to the ground.

"Ghrk!" she gasped, as she hit the ground.

Sasuke landed on her, keeping a foot firmly on her chest, close to her throat. "Now," he said triumphantly. "_Now_ you'll tell me just what is going on here!"

Just then, the scene changed once again. They were in Orochimaru's lair, both dressed in the clothes he wore at the end of his training with Orochimaru. However, there was another difference- they both had swords.

_Shng!_

With a flash of steel, Kagami swung her copy of Sasuke's blade clean through his torso. Such a move would've normally killed him, had it not been for Ino's seal. There was a blast of light, and the next thing they knew, they were standing on opposite sides of the chamber. Unfortunately, whatever was causing the wardrobe changes forgot to give Kagami a bra, which allowed Sasuke to get an eyeful of her cleavage, given that the shirt was largely open, prompting him to hastily avert his eyes.

"What the…?" she gasped when she saw what he was blushing about. Adjusting the shirt so that it bared less of her chest, she turned her gaze back to her foe. "Well, at least we know for sure you're a man," she growled. "Pervert."

Sasuke didn't reply immediately. His eyes were closed, as if he was deep in thought. When he finally spoke up, he said, "What I want to know is, why does this feel so wrong?"

Kagami's eyes widened with rage and indignation. "What's the matter? Not good enough for—"

"No, that's not what I was talking about," he said, cutting her off. "Well, okay, yes, it's _part_ of what I'm talking about, but not in the way you think," he finished.

"What the hell are you trying to say?" she replied. "All of this- this fight, my being, err, attracted to you, all of it. It feels like I shouldn't, or maybe _we_ shouldn't. I don't think we should be fighting each other."

Kagami sheathed her sword warily. "So, you're saying you'll finally tell me what's going on?"

"Yeah. Maybe if we just talk it over, we'll _both_ fig-"

He was interrupted by the scene changing again.

_Fwmp!_

Suddenly, in the darkness of the new scene, something heavy had landed between the two of them. Immediately, the room lit up with torchlight, revealing to them both a horrible sight: Itachi's corpse, battered and bloody as it was after Sasuke's battle with him. Both living Uchiha sprang backward in shock.

"What the?" exclaimed Sasuke. When he turned his gaze to Kagami, he saw that she was in a pure state of shock. There was no way she had made Itachi's corpse appear, and likely no way that she was the one changing the scenes so randomly. "Hey," he called to her, "Are you alright?"

"Y-y-yeah," she stammered.

"That was pretty….shocking, huh?"

She nodded. "Maybe we really _should_ talk- before something worse happens."

In the waking world, Inoichi and his daughter were busy preparing some sort of jutsu ritual or something. Naruto couldn't tell what the little candles were for, or why they weren't being lit. Another oddity was their placement. Everything, including the jutsu script that was drawn on the ground, encompassing the area where the two Yamanaka were standing over their Uchiha charges, was centered on the candles. The overall set-up looked not unlike a cell undergoing mitosis, with the candles as the poles of the cell as it splits. Not knowing what all this was for, Naruto simply did what he was asked, whether it was helping to set up equipment or making supply runs. Apparently, whatever Ino and her dad were doing was going to save Sasuke and the suspicious kunoichi, who were placed in the ellipse last, in such a way that they were close together and their heads could've been said to have pointed at each other.

Apparently Kakashi-sensei wasn't familiar with this technique, either. Approaching them, he asked, "So, what exactly does this jutsu do?"

"This jutsu," began the older Yamanaka, "Was originally conceived as a way to extend the lives of those who were mortally wounded. Basically, we would send our own souls into their bodies with Mind Transfer Jutsu, but we do something different- we extract their souls to place them in the candles, and finally jump to the destination body, whether it's someone else's cadaver or their own."

Naruto cocked his head. "But I thought you said this jutsu was for dying people? So why would you place them back in their own bodies?"

"Because you can still heal the body, even if there's no one inside. The cells stay alive, due to the fact that until the connection is severed, the soul will still grant the body life. That's why us Yamanaka will get hurt if we're possessing someone and hurt them. Get it?"

"No…..I don't. But you're sure it'll work?"

"Yes," replied Inoichi, "And if no one else has any other questions, we should really get started if we're gonna save these kids."

As the two of them returned to their preparations, one of the ANBU spoke up. "Inoichi-san is actually making it sound a lot simpler than it really is," he said, "This jutsu is so complex and powerful, that only the clan's heads and their children are ever even taught it, let alone actually having the ability to perform it. How Ino-dono can already do it…..I can only expect that she trained long and hard to do it properly. Obviously, it's a Forbidden Jutsu, and even at that, one so steeped in myth that I never thought I'd actually see it….Until now."

With that, father and daughter quickly placed themselves on opposite sides of the ellipse, simultaneously invoking their signature jutsu.

"**MIND TRANSFER JUTSU!"**

As both Yamanaka slumped to the floor, the Uchihas finished part of their conversation.

"Okay," said Kagami. "So, we've been fighting through your memories just now…And we still don't know why we share memories?" By now they had shuffled to keep from looking at the facsimile of Itachi's corpse.

"Unfortunately, that just about sums up everything we know at this point," Sasuke replied. "We still don't know what's up with this whole memory-sharing thing, or the headaches, or anything else."

"I think we can explain that," replied a man's voice, prompting both of them to jump and draw their blades in surprise.

"Wh-who are you?" asked Kagami.

"That's Yamanaka Inoichi," replied Sasuke, sheathing his blade. "The girl is Yamanaka Ino, his daughter. I remember both of them from when I was starting out as a ninja; you should, too, what with the fact that you share my memories."

Stepping forward, the older Yamanaka said, "We don't have much time; further introductions will have to wait. You seem to be bonded together psychically somehow. What this means is, until one or both of you disappears, you will be trapped here forever."

Kagami balked. "D-Disappear?" she stammered.

"Yeah, but if you let us, we'll most likely be able to help you," replied Ino.

"Only 'most likely'?" Kagami asked warily as Sasuke remained silent.

"Yeah, well, this is kinda the first time we've ever done it this way," Ino replied. "That's enough talk. You guys ready?" she asked, as she and her father walked over to the two Uchiha.

"Ready as we'll ever be," replied Sasuke bluntly. "If it's a question of do or die, I'd rather _do_, thanks."

With that, the part which was said to be the most complicated part of the ritual commenced.

Naruto was beginning to grow worried, when, all of a sudden, the candles on either side of the ellipse blazed to life with spectral azure flames.

"Basically, what you're seeing is the jutsu being performed twice simultaneously. Both of them will likely need a great deal of rest afterward…..If they even succeed," said the Yamanaka ANBU grimly.

"Why are the candles burning so brightly?" asked Naruto.

"There are two souls in each, right?" guessed Kakashi, at which the ANBU who was explaining the technique merely nodded.

As they spoke, the flames grew slightly dimmer, indicating that Ino and her father had jumped back into their own bodies.

"Ugh," groaned Ino.

"Chin up," her father told her. "Take a Soldier Pill. I'll sever the mental connection between the two by placing seals, like we discussed. After that, you and I will return them to their bodies. Do you remember what our time limit is?"

"I know, Dad, I know," came the slightly annoyed reply, "We have until the Soul Candles burn out, which translates to about ten minutes."

"Good girl," commented her father, stepping into the center of the ellipse as she left it to recover some of her stamina. Naruto didn't really understand most of what happened after that. Inoichi had stood with his back to them, forming a string of seals, then clapped his hands and knelt, touching Sasuke and Kagami's foreheads with the corresponding palm- left for Sasuke, right for Kagami. The kanji for "Seal" appeared on their foreheads, indicating that the seal was in place. As soon as Ino was ready, they performed the final set of jumps, those necessary to bring the Uchihas' souls back to their bodies.

As Kagami opened her eyes, she winced at the intensity of the remaining daylight. She had completely forgotten it was daytime- spending nearly an hour and a half on the Tsukuyomi plane did that to a person, she surmised. Sitting up, she and Sasuke were at first startled by the apparent mirror-imaging, until they each realized who the other person was, which prompted a smile. A couple of the ANBU had immediately taken Inoichi and Ino to the hospital to recover from the exhaustion suffered from the completion of the technique, and soon, a few more came forward to carry Sasuke and Kagami off to the same place. As they were being carried away, they smiled at each other. They might not have known how it was that they were connected, but they definitely were, and it felt good.

In the Hokage's office, however, the mood was not as light.

"Have the DNA tests come back yet, Shizune?" Tsunade impatiently asked her assistant as she noticed her entering the room.

"Y-yes ma'am, just now," she answered.

"_And_?"

"And…..Well….They're pretty much the same DNA structure. By all indications, the main difference in their DNA is that one is male and one is female. Other than that, there is extremely little variation, if any."

The older kunoichi's brow furrowed. "Knowing Orochimaru, this can't be good…What should our cover-story be? What with the public opinion of both Uchihas and Orochimaru, we can't just blurt out that Orochimaru may have been the cause of this," she said.

"Then choose the lesser of two evils," suggested an unexpected voice.

"Sai? When did you-?" demanded Shizune.

"Just now," he answered, cutting her off. "As you can see, I left the door ajar, though you had closed it upon entering, Shizune-san."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "'Choose the lesser of two evils'? Why does that sound like something Shimura Danzo would say?"

"Please, Hokage-sama. I mean no harm. It's just that…While I'm really beginning to agree with Naruto's views in whole and not in part…I cannot help but feel that some things are better left unsaid, at least for the time being. I even have evidence from those wonderful books you recommended for me, if you'd like," he replied, smiling gently- his "polite" smile. He _was_ right, though. Given the public tension, it was potentially perilous to freely announce the information they had at that point. Even though Tsunade was not a fan of what she thought of as underhanded political dealings, it really was the choice that was best for everyone.

"And just what would you have us say, then?" she asked the serene shinobi, raising an eyebrow. What she didn't expect was how good he was at lying.

"It's simple, really. She is Sasuke's twin sister, hidden away by their clan long before the Massacre, during the opening stages of planning their coup. The reason they couldn't just hide all three children was because that would've been suspicious to us, the village government. Therefore, they chose to hide the girl, assuming that Sasuke was the stronger twin. Their apparent psychic "connection" is due to the fact that they subconsciously desired to see each other again, though they were much too young when separated to consciously know each other. This connection was somehow amplified by Orochimaru's extensive experimentation and study of her body after having captured her before leading Sasuke astray all those years ago. As for why he didn't possess her, he simply did not wish to possess the body of a woman, being a man himself. The aforementioned experiments erased her memory of the past, though we may be able to 'restore' them if given time."

Tsunade just looked at him for a moment. "So I assume we'll be calling in the Yamanaka again?" she asked, garnering a nod from Sai. "Hoo boy," she sighed. "I wonder how those two will react."

A few hours later, the order had been issued for an ANBU agent to insert memories into Sasuke and Kagami's minds, "reminding" them that they were apparently brother and sister. Soon after that, the duo awakened. Thanks to the "canned" memories, as Tsunade liked to call them, they accepted the account they were given about the past at face value. Sai's plan had worked.

"Well then, Kabuto," said Tobi in their hideout. "Konoha has your little 'pet'. She is going by the name, 'Uchiha Kagami'."

Kabuto shivered when he heard that name uttered by Tobi's lips. That girl…That girl was supposed to be _his_…..In more ways than just the normal one.

"Are you alright?" asked Tobi, credulously.

"I-I'm fine," replied the snake-man.

"Good," said Tobi. "I wouldn't want you to miss out on another new member- one that I have personally recruited."

Kabuto was surprised at this revelation. "You never said anything about another new member," he said, nearly accusingly.

"Does it matter?" asked Tobi nonchalantly. "What matters is that I recruited her, and that she's here right now," he said, gesturing behind them.

Out from the shadows crept a masked woman, with unkempt white hair and the staple cloak of the organization. "I am called 'Kagura,'" she said coldly. "I possess skill in healing jutsu," she said, spinning a kunai seemingly innocently, then suddenly stopped her kunai and appeared behind Kabuto instantly, saying, "But a healer is not all that I am. Cross me, and you will cease to exist," she said, releasing him just as she finished menacing him.

Hakumei had failed in getting one member, but secured a different one instead. Now all that was left was recruiting three more members- though according to Tobi, the number was really only two, for he had another prospective member functioning in Konoha as a sleeper agent.

New faces, same conflict. This war was far from over.

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Thanks for reading! As always, rate and review!


	14. Winds of Change!

I don't own Naruto, but I own my OC's.

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Chapter 14- Winds of Change!

The war was rough on everyone, but it was particularly rough on Akimichi Choji. To cope with the stress, his father had suggested that he raise something in the clan's garden. Choji loved most kinds of food, but it was easy for him to choose what to plant- a peach tree. Maybe it was the softness of the skin of the fruit. Maybe it was its juiciness. Maybe it was the taste. He didn't know why he liked them so much- all he knew was, he did. So, in the months that followed the war, in the space allotted to him close to the Akimichi compound's gate, Choji began by cultivating a single peach tree from a sapling. In between missions, during the four-month period in which he and the rest of his friends awaited Naruto's re-awakening, he made sure to take time each day, if he was able, to take care of his tree. A few days before Kagami was first discovered, it had grown enough to bear fruit. However, when Choji went to harvest his prize, he saw something shocking.

Someone was eating _his_ fruit!

Choji just stared at the thief for a moment. It was a girl, a pretty one, possibly only slightly taller than Hinata, with short brown hair in a bob cut, with a slight tan and an athletic build. She was dressed in a plain gray sleeveless shirt, navy blue sweatpants, and the standard Konoha-issue sandals, though they looked worn. She wore a black chocker necklace around her neck. What stood out about her was her choice of gloves- black, fingerless fighting gloves that looked much like Kakashi-sensei's, though with metal studs on the knuckles that looked like they could do some decent damage.

It wasn't so much that she was eating them, but rather that she hadn't asked first. He would've gladly given her at least one peach if she had simply asked for it, perhaps two, for his tree was heavy with fruit. However, what she was doing constituted _stealing_. Of all the things Choji could shrug off, stealing was decidedly not on the list.

"Hey!" he shouted at her.

He didn't have time to get any more words out of his throat, however, for upon hearing him and seeing him, she immediately stood and dashed away.

"Darn it," Choji muttered. "At least she only ate one," he mused as he approached his tree.

She had made herself quite comfortable. The soil around the tree had obviously been shifted around, though Choji had taken care to re-arrange it in its original position after tending his tree. Some of the blossoms had remained on the tree, for it was just beginning to bear fruit, and one area, roughly the length of the girl's seated body, displayed a large gap in where the petals fell. He would have to be more watchful from now on.

Over the next few days, he decided to just watch for her. Like clockwork, she returned to the complex, glanced quickly around, picked a peach, then sat down and eat. She looked like she really enjoyed the peaches, which felt rewarding to Choji, given that he grew them. After a few of these visits, he decided to just keep watching, rather than take action. Much like his reaction to his own love of peaches, Choji had no concrete idea why he found this girl so fascinating. Maybe it was the fact that he wanted to see just how long she would keep up this sneaky behavior. Maybe it was because she seemed to enjoy eating the fruit that he had grown himself. Maybe it was simply because a pretty girl was making such a big effort to sneak into his front yard and eat the fruit he grew. He honestly didn't know which one it was. By the time the situation pertaining to Kagami and Sasuke resulted in them being declared siblings, seeing the girl had become a regular fixture in Choji's life.

At about the time the peach-eating girl appeared at Choji's house that day, Shino met Midori in the main plaza of the village.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he apologized. He had promised to escort her back to her home when he recovered, though circumstances had prevented their timely departure, much to her annoyance and Shino's chagrin. When she didn't immediately reply to him, he stepped closer to see what she was doing.

She had her back to him, and she was crouching down on the side of the street.

"If I remember correctly," Shino thought, "There was some sort of wilted flower here. I wonder what she could possibly be doing with it...?"

Stepping closer to see exactly what was going on, he saw something truly amazing, His friend had her hands cupped around the dying plant, and with an expression of complete and utter focus, was performing what could only be described as the closest thing one could have to medical ninjutsu involving plant life. By now, the plant had a green aura, and color and shape were both slowly returning to its crumpled form. Soon, she had healed the entire plant.

"A-amazing," stammered Shino, prompting Midori to jump.

"Gyaaah! _Must_ you always come up from behind me like that?" she demanded, blushing from the shock.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I _did_ announce my presence, however…..You just didn't notice, what with concentrating on your 'patient' and all."

She stared at him. "Y-you _saw_ that?" she asked, prompting a mere nod from him. "Eheh," she chuckled sheepishly. "Guess ya think I'm kinda weird now, huh?" she said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Not really," the shady shinobi replied. "One of our higher-ranking ninja has similar abilities."

Midori just stared at her friend. "Wait….So, what….Are you saying _I'm_ a ninja?"

"Possibly, yes," he replied, straight-faced.

"Whoa," she replied. "Wait, no…._No_! There's no way!" she replied, nearly panicking.

"Why are you so averse to the idea?" asked Shino.

"_Because_," she replied. "Grandpa Gen always said to be wary of ninja….I mean, I've always been good with plants, but Grandpa always said that my abilities could be used to hurt people…..And that ninjas would encourage me to do that!"

"So it's 'Grandpa _Gen_,' huh?" asked Shino. "However, I don't think he meant it to be as black and white as you seem to be taking it. After all, you're making it sound like _all_ ninja are just extremely violent people," he said.

"That's not what I'm saying," she said, miserably. "See, Grandpa grew up in a time of constant fighting between ninja. One of those 'Shinobi World War' things. Anyway, he forbade me to use my powers to fight people. That's why I carry this blade," she said, gesturing to her sword.

"I see. So, since he forbade you to learn ninjutsu, he taught you kenjutsu instead," mused Shino. "However, I still feel that you're looking at it in black and white," he said. "Everyone has their own reason to fight. Naruto, for example, fights to protect what's dear to him. In fact, in that way, many, if not most, Konoha ninja are like Naruto."

"But," the green-clad girl replied, "Isn't that still fighting?"

"Yes, but what I'm getting at is, not all fighting is inherently bad. It's _why someone fights_ that matters. I think what your grandfather meant was not to forbid yourself from fighting at all, but instead to not use your abilities for the sole purpose of merely harming others."

"Hm. You could be right," she mused. "I'll have to think about it."

"That's all I can ask you to do- that and one more thing, that is."

"_Yes_, I accept that I'm a ninja," she said with mock exasperation.

"So, while we're at it, what else can you do?"

"Not much, actually," she replied. "I just know how to make plants grow and how to heal them. What can this 'higher-ranking ninja' of yours do?"

"Why don't I tell you on the way back to your house?" he asked.

"Whoa," she mused. "You're still just escorting me out? Even though you now know what I am, and what I can do?"

"Um, yes," he replied, with the same mock exasperation as she had exhibited just prior. "I told you, not all ninja are violent warrior-types."

"Yeah," she quipped. "Some are gentlemen."

As he watched the girl eat her daily peach, Choji grew more and more concerned. He had noticed that, over the last few days, her clothes and overall appearance were beginning to look ragged. She ate a second peach, but didn't seem to eat either one with the same fervor that she usually did, though he knew for a fact that his peaches were still good. Then he made his decision: he would follow her as she left. After all, there was that one time Shikamaru had done that for Temari when she was—No. No, he couldn't leech off of Shikamaru for his own choices. His best friend inspired him, but Choji was ready to make his own decisions. He _would_ follow her, but not because Shikamaru did so to Temari. No, he would do it because he was legitimately concerned for someone he considered a friend. Sure enough, when she finally finished eating and got up to leave, Choji quietly left his house and pursued her. Eventually, they reached Konoha's red-light district, where the few slums and the cheapest, though lowest-quality, inns were located. When the girl arrived at one of the inns, she attempted to sneak in, apparently to get past the owner without being noticed. Watching her, Choji began to wonder whether she lived there, and her parents owned the inn. However, when she was accosted by the innkeeper, he changed his mind- he sorely hoped this was not truly where she lived, at least not in a familial setting.

"Hey, you little bitch! You owe me a lotta rent! You'd better pay up, you hear?"

Even from where he was, Choji could see his peach-loving friend cringe. Clearly, this wasn't a highlight of her day. Did she have to go through this every day?

"Did you hear me?" by now, the innkeeper was walking right up to the girl and yelling in her face. He was an ogre of a man, almost bald, with several warts, a squinty eye, and misshapen yellow teeth. He was bigger than she was, and by Choji's estimate, stronger, too. He _had_ to do something- anything- to help his friend.

"If you don't pay your rent up soon," continued the ogre-man, now that he was close enough for his intended victim to choke on his rancid breath as one grubby hand fondled her chin while the other began to reach for her breasts. "I might just have to take it outta yer pretty little—"

_**CRAAAASH!**_

"Whut?" grunted the ogre, obviously confused and annoyed. He had been so close to getting a feel of that young, fresh body! Boy, was whoever interrupted his fun gonna get it!

Or so he _thought_, until the dust cleared.

As the dust cleared, there stood a young man, obviously a ninja, based on his appearance. And he didn't look very happy. "_Let. Her. __**Go,**_" he commanded. His eyes were like iron. He was ready for a fight, if anyone was stupid enough to challenge him.

"Oh yeah? What'chu gonna do about it?" roared the ogre, who apparently literally was that stupid.

Suddenly, a gigantic hand wrapped itself around him and dragged him to the chunin. "I won't ask again," Choji said in a dangerous tone. There were two things, above all else, that one should _never_ do in Choji's presence: threaten or insult his friends. This ogre had just done both.

Fortunately, even the ogre seemed to sense the severity of the situation. "A-alright! Alright! Just lemme go!"

Choji roughly dumped the ogre on the ground directly in front of him, while motioning his new friend to stay behind him.

As she complied, the ogre began to roar again. "W-wait!" he yelled. "I'm still losing money, here! This is a legitimate business, an' –"

"How much?" Choji demanded. "Wh-wha?"

"I asked, '_how much_?'"

"Er, uh, sixty thousand ryo," the ogre grunted.

Immediately, Choji reached into his pocket and produced the money, plus a little extra. "Here," he said. "_Seventy_ thousand. Her account with you is settled. The extra ten thousand is payment to never bother her again."

Leaving the ogre dumbfounded, Choji escorted his new friend back to the main areas of Konoha.

"Y-you didn't have to do that, you know," she said. "I was….fine."

"Heheh, sorry about that, then," replied Choji, grinning a big, goofy grin. "I guess I misjudged the situation, then. But how come you didn't stand up for yourself?"

"I….I tried, once. Got beat up for my trouble. I've learned not to cross Yama-san except when it can't be helped."

Choji assumed, correctly, that "Yama-san" was the name of the ogre-like innkeeper he had just saved her from.

Suddenly, she stopped. "Hey, wait…..You're that guy, aren't you? The one with the peaches?"

Being referred to as such caused Choji to guffaw slightly. "Haha! Yeah, that's me! I noticed you like 'em!"

"Y-yeah," she said, blushing slightly. "Listen…..About before…..Thanks."

"Heh, don't worry about it!"

"Only one problem, though," she said, grimly.

"Yeah? Like what?"

"I don't have anywhere to stay now," she said, miserably. "I can't really….get a job, either. That's why I hadn't paid my rent…..And you'll notice, I didn't have to go grab anything from my room or anything after you saved me just now….." she said, trailing off.

"Yeah," Choji said thoughtfully. "Why is that, anyway?"

His companion pinched the bridge of her nose. "Because about the only things I rightly own are the clothes I'm wearing right now," she said.

Choji whistled. "No place to stay, no money, _and_ no job? Wow, that really bites…..Wait, why can't you get a job?"

"Because I don't have a name," the girl said darkly, prompting a surprised blink from Choji.

"Wait, what? What do you mean, you don't have a name?"

"I meant exactly what I said. I. Have. No. Name."

"Well, uh," began Choji. "Wait!" he said, noticing that they had arrived back at his clan's compound. "I know! We can call you 'Momo', after the peaches you love so much!" he said, grinning.

With a wry smile, his companion replied, "Heh, you literally _just_thought of that, didn't you?"

Choji looked slightly crestfallen. "Oh….You don't like it?"

"No no no!" replied the girl, waving her hands in front of herself. "I really like it…..It's just funny how you said it right after stopping in front of a peach tree, that's all. Hm… 'Momo'. Yeah, I like it," she said, smiling.

"And you know what, Momo? You could live at my place! We have a guest room and everything!"

Momo held up her hands in front of herself. "Whoa, whoa. I don't want to impose or anyth—"

"Haha, who's imposing? I'm inviting you as a friend. And plus, it'll be dinnertime soon! My mom is one of the best cooks in all of Konoha!"

Momo couldn't help but grin. She didn't want to tell him just then, but she had no memory whatsoever of her past before a few months ago. What was her real name? Where was she from? Did she have family? She wrestled with these and similar questions every night. However, she decided she wouldn't, that night. It was nearly dinnertime…..And the smell of a hearty home-cooked meal made her forget everything else, if only for a while.

"Alright," Madara said as he briefed his subordinates. Our sleeper agent is now in place. We only need two more members….So perhaps it's about time you made good on your promise, Jiro.

Even as much rejoicing was had in Konoha, the shadows continued to stir.

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Whoa, Choji was actually pretty cool! XD I wonder who the sleeper is? Midori, Kagami, or Momo? Or could it be someone else entirely?

Rate and review!


	15. New Faces, New Conflict!

And after that long hiatus, I'm back! Hopefully you like this chapter!

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Chapter 15: New Faces, New Conflict!

Life was good so far. After that first night, Choji had convinced his parents to let Momo stay with them as a tenant, with the mutual agreement that she would either find work and pay rent or work around the Akimichi estate and earn her keep that way. As she waited for the opportunity to see the Hokage about getting her papers in order so that she could find work, she chose the latter option. However, although she was generally another positive presence in the Akimichi household, Choji's parents were not without their concerns, particularly his father.

"I'm worried about our son," Choza told his wife one night, when they were alone. "He barely knows anything about her, and yet he invites her into our house. I hope he knows what he's doing."

"Of _course_ he knows what he's doing," replied Choji's mother gently, "He's being just like his kind-hearted father and helping a person in need. It'll be fine; so don't worry so much!"

"Haha, you're probably right," he replied.

"Well, of course I am!" she retorted, winking, "When have I ever been wrong?"

About a week after Momo started staying with the Akimichis, The Weapon Retrieval Squad finally returned to Konoha. They would have arrived sooner, but they had been waylaid by storms, bandits, and fatigue. However, no one cared that they were late. No one asked what took them so long. All anyone cared about was that they _did_ return. Lee and Tenten were particularly excited, since both of their squadmates were part of that team, though the latter did her level best to hide it. As Lee and Gai had their emotional reunion, Neji struggled to find the right thing to say to a very antagonistic-looking Tenten.

"Tenten, I…."

The kunoichi whirled on him. "Look, Neji, if you want to go on an internationally important, extremely dangerous mission…That's fine._Great_, even. But would you do me a favor and actually _try_ to come back in one piece? Look at you! Does that arm even _work_ anymore?"

Neji was so taken aback by her sudden tirade that he actually took a moment to glance at his bandaged arm, set in a sling. It was merely broken, a painful souvenir from a battle with one of the tougher enemies fate sent their way, and he had actually wanted to tell her all about it…..Though by now it seemed like he'd be better off not telling her something that would doubtlessly seem like some "the one that got away" story she wouldn't be interested in.

"Are you even _listening_ to me?" she snapped at him, angrily. "Honestly, you can be such a bái chī sometimes!" (A/N: She just spoke Chinese...0_o And yes, that is pinyin.)

Neji blinked. Tenten could be a little….eccentric at times, but she'd never used words he didn't understand before.

"I can be a…._what_?" he asked, blinking again.

"Ugh, now you're hard-of-hearing, too?" she sighed. "I said you can be a baka sometimes. An _idiot_, idiot."

"That's not what you said earlier," Neji thought.

Tenten sighed and suddenly began to smile. Hugging her white-eyed friend, she finally said, "Whatever. You may be an idiot, but at least now you're _home_."

Feeling the dampness of what must have been her tears on his shoulder, Neji decided that, strange as his teammate and best friend could be, he was glad to be home himself.

Soon after that, the various groups split off to celebrate the completion of their mission. Gai-sensei went off with Kakashi, Anko and Iruka, along with a few others. The samurai decided to spend the rest of the day and then the night in the village, to depart in the morning. As for Neji, he and his friends gathered for an impromptu party at the Hyuga estate. All of Neji's friends were there, even a few new faces. Naruto had dragged along Sasuke, who in turn had invited Kagami. Shikamaru invited Temari and her students, who ended up remaining in the village due to the international lockdown. She was originally against it, given the situation, but he eventually convinced her. Choji had brought Momo along, and finally, Ino had asked Sai to come as her "date". After a few awkward greetings and dinner, everyone began milling around, simply talking, enjoying each other's company.

Naruto sighed, satisfied. "Now _this_ is more like it! Good food, everyone all together like this…..I wish every day could be like this!"

"But then, what would make these events special?" replied Sakura.

"Eheh….You have a point," admitted the jinchuriki.

"H-hey," Kagami began, tapping Naruto on the shoulder to get his attention, "S-sorry about….Y'know. The other day….." she said, trailing off with an awkward expression on her face.

"Ah, don't worry about that!" replied Naruto blithely. "It's okay! I mean, who knows? May just as well have been _me_ rampaging around like that, right?" he asked the other two enthusiastically.

"Naruto….Don't even _joke_ like that," Sakura protested, "You probably didn't know, but there are times when Tsunade-sama has to deal with people concerned about your nature as a jinchuriki."

Sasuke simply remained silent, but the blond boy could tell he didn't appreciate Naruto's attempt at humor.

Naruto looked pensive for a moment, then simply grinned. "Eh, it'll be fine, Sakura. Like I always say, I'll show them all the truth- show them all I'm not a monster!" he said, his grin threatening to overtake the rest of his face. "And Kagami- it _is_ Kagami, right?"

The girl nodded, continuing to stare intently at him.

"Well, don't worry about a thing. If it's forgiveness you're lookin' for, I forgive you."

Upon hearing this, Kagami looked relieved. "Well, that's good," she said, smiling. "Thank you."

Meanwhile, Choji introduced his newest friend to the rest of his team.

"So you're Momo, huh?" asked Shikamaru.

Momo didn't answer; for she was much too busy watching Ino circle her like a hawk. "Umm," she began.

"Huh, she's decent, I guess," Ino finally said, cutting the other girl off.

Momo looked startled. "Y-you're checking me out?" she demanded.

"Heck no. Just seeing if you're as good-looking as Choji said you were," the blonde replied nonchalantly as she examined her manicured fingernails for non-existent dust.

As Momo blushed and developed a sudden interest in her feet, Choji tried desperately to refute his friend's accusation. "I-Ino! I never said _anything_ like—"

"Sure ya did," commented Shikamaru. "Just yesterday you were telling me how you had a girlfriend, too, now."

"What! No! I….I…..Arrrgh!" exclaimed Choji as he ran off as quickly as he could without crashing into anyone.

"Ch-Choji…?" Momo called as she trailed behind him, looking worried.

Looking at Shikamaru, Ino narrowed her eyes. "Okay, shadow-boy, what'd you do that for? I thought you'd play a different part in that scenario….?"

"I dunno, I guess I just…..I guess it was just an impulse," the ponytailed jonin replied. "At any rate, we both know Choji is the one telling the truth here- he never said anything like what we're accusing him of."

"Then why…?" began Ino. "Because it's also clear that there's something between those two. I dunno _what_ it is, but there's definitely something."

"So you're saying he likes her?"

"Can't say that for sure yet," came the drawling reply. "But what I _am_ sure of is that there's some kind of chemistry."

"A chemistry like ours?" asked a voice from behind the pair.

Shikamaru grinned cooly while Ino whirled around. "Nah, ours is different. _Nobody_ can match it."

"Tch," clicked Temari, looking disappointed as she approached the pair. "I hate how it's so hard to surprise you by now."

"We're ninjas, it's part of the job description," he quipped in reply.

"Heh, so you say," she replied, grinning slightly. Noticing Ino, she sniffed. "Oh. Hi, there."

Ino huffed in reply. "Well, _hello_ to you, too!"

"Ugh," Shikamaru thought, "Mendokuse….."

Meanwhile, Temari's students walked around as a group, feeling lost among the sheer number of new faces with whom they were apparently expected to spontaneously interact. Fortunately, Matsuri had some experience with Konoha shinobi, and could point out some people. The actual challenge was in actually _getting_ the other two to socialize. Mimi was simply too hyper and inattentive, while Amaya was simply much too introverted to even try to do anything beyond just smiling slightly and nodding at people in greeting. Eventually, Matsuri's face lit up when she saw someone she respected almost as much as Gaara-sama himself.

"Naruto!" she exclaimed.

The orange-clad hero snapped to attention and began looking around for the person who had called him.

Mimi got in on the act as well. "Over here, nya!" she called.

Naruto's expression changed to a quizzical one. "Nya…?" he thought as he continued to search around.

"The sound came from over _here_, ya know," Matsuri muttered under her breath before running up to him. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "How are you?"

"Hey there!" Naruto replied, "Uh, your name….It was…..Mat…Matsuri?"

The Suna kunoichi looked nonplussed. "Uh, yeah. Look, I wanna introduce you to two friends of mine- here's Mimi and Amaya."

"Hiya!" Mimi greeted him, grinning.

Amaya simply smiled and nodded. "N-Naruto?" came a voice from behind the blond.

"Huh? Oh, Hinata! There you are!" he exclaimed. Practically dragging her forward, he introduced her to Temari's protégées. "Hey girls, this here is Hinata. She's my gir-"

**CHOMP!**

"Gaaah!" Naruto screamed as Tama materialized on his wrist, having dashed off of Mimi's shoulders and bitten it.

"Oh Kami I'm so sorry, nya!" apologized Mimi. Extracting Tama, Mimi admonished the cat, "No, Tama! Bad kitty! Naruto-san's wrist isn't _food_, nya!"

Quickly examining Naruto's wrist, Hinata called Sakura over.

"Oh Kami….." Sakura sighed. "Alright, c'mon…..We should go inside to deal with this."

As she followed her friends to see if she could help, Hinata couldn't help but remember that one of the girls Naruto had tried to introduce her to seemed entirely uncomfortable. She reminded the Hyuga heiress of herself before she became more confident. Making a mental note to have a talk with the girl, Hinata ran off to get the first aid kit for Sakura in case she needed it. However, another memory distracted her as she assisted Sakura with treating Naruto's wrist: Had he just tried to introduce her as his _girlfriend_? Hinata quickly shook the question out of the forefront of her mind. She had bigger things to worry about, after all.

"She bite _any_ guy that comes close? Or just ones that smell like _ramen_?" asked a gruff voice from in front of Mimi. "No, she doesn't. In fact, She never bites anyone unless I…. say…. to…" the cat-girl said, trailing off as she looked up and saw who she was addressing. "Oh, Kiba! Hi!"

"Hey," he replied. "Are these those squadmates you told me about?"

"Sure are, nya!" exclaimed the girl. "Guys, say hi!"

"Hey there," replied Matsuri, while Amaya managed a soft "H-hey."

Kiba raised an eyebrow. "Huh," he said, "You remind me of one of _my_ teammates. Used to be super-quiet and shy….Maybe she can help you with that." he said, smiling gently. Apparently, this had helped Hinata gain enough confidence to talk to him normally, so he hoped it would work on this girl as well. It looked like his wish was being granted, at least for the time being, for she began to look slightly more comfortable. "Speaking of my teammate, I think you guys already met her. Wanna meet my other one? Be warned, though- he's kind of distracted right now."

It was true. Shino was standing over by the gate of the Hyuga compound, away from the main party, staring out at the road.

"Dude, if you don't wanna be here, just go. Hinata will understand," commented a familiar voice, prompting the introverted shinobi to turn around.

"It's not that, Kiba…I'm just waiting for someone," he said.

Kiba grinned. "_Please_ tell me this means you finally asked someone out!" he teased.

Shino sighed. "_Yes_, Kiba, I had asked someone to come to the party with me besides you. And _yes_, before you ask, it's a girl."

Kiba blinked. "Wait, what about Hinata?" "She _lives_ here, dog-breath. She pretty much _has_ to come."

"Hey, I knew that! I meant, uh….Grr."

Mimi merely giggled from her position seated behind Kiba on Akamaru's back.

"Look," Shino explained, pointing out at the street, "There's this girl I met recently…..She's…..Well she's 'special,' I guess is the word. Anyway, I sent some of my bugs with a message—"

"To her home earlier, and now you're worried because she hadn't shown up yet?" replied a voice, finishing Shino's sentence for him.

"Wha?" he asked as he turned. "Ah! Midori! You're-"

"Rather annoyed with where your finger is right now," she responded flatly.

Behind his goggles, Shino blinked. "Huh?" Then he saw where his finger was- poking her left breast. Retracting it hastily, Shino chuckled nervously. "Eheheh. Whoops, sorry."

Kiba grinned. "Whoa, looks like Shino's out to get some! Look out, ladies!"

This earned him a few more giggles from Mimi, and even a wry smile from Midori.

"Kiba…." Shino growled in a warning tone.

Midori took him by the hand. "Oh, hush. He's just playing around, so no harm done. Now, why don't you introduce me to some of your friends?"

"I like this girl already," thought Kiba as he and Temari's students followed the pair back to the party area.

Back where Shikamaru was standing, Temari and Ino were still glowering at each other. Exactly what one or the other had done to make them both behave this way was beyond him. All he knew was he'd rather not be caught in the crossfire.

Suddenly, Ino decided she had had enough. "Ugh, whatever," she finally said. "Look, Shikamaru, I need to talk to you later about something…..Involving our team's roster. Alright?"

"Sure, just be sure to let Choji know, if this is a team meeting. Maybe also apologize to him- without Momo hearing- about fibbing like we did earlier."

"Heh, yeah," she replied, grinning. "See ya!"

Temari sighed. "Honestly…..I keep wondering whether she's your younger sister, a former lover, or _what_," she said, exasperatedly.

Shikamaru smiled uneasily. "Eheheh. Yeah, _no_ idea why she gets like that around you," he replied.

"Hey," Temari said, changing the subject, "Come to think of it, why are your hands still in your pockets?"

Shikamaru blinked. "Er, uh, what d'you mean?"

"Cheesy as it is sometimes, by now you'd have at least _tried_ to put your arm around me. What's wrong? You hiding something in there?" she teased, poking him in the forearm, about midway down from the elbow.

"Ngh," groaned Shikamaru.

Temari began to look worried. "Okay, tough guy. _Spill_."

"Look, it's nothing," he replied, gingerly removing his hand from his pocket.

Seeing that it was covered in bandages, Temari gave him a look. "I dunno, looks like _something_ to me," she said.

"Look, I'm fine," he replied, "Just got a little banged up in a fight, that's all. The docs say I fractured my arm, but it's not bad enough to warrant a sling. It's in a splint right now. With regular healing jutsu sessions, it should be fine in a couple days now. I just didn't want you to worry."

Sighing, she replied, "Of _course_ I'm gonna worry. Who did that, anyway? Anyone we know?"

"Not exactly," explained Shikamaru, either oblivious to or purposely ignoring the air of danger that question possessed. "That girl over there….I think she calls herself 'Uchiha Kagami'."

Temari looked in the general direction in which he was pointing with an expression of disdain. "I….See," she said, sighing. "I both love and hate when people who hurt those I care about become allies. On the one side, I can trust them not to do it again, but on the other hand, I almost feel like I wanna get back at them for what they'd already done, y'know?"

Shikamaru just nodded and smiled. "Heh, yeah. I know what you mean."

Stepping away from their friends for a private walk, Tenten and the guest of honor, Neji, were both quiet, each choosing to merely enjoy the other's company.

Neji glanced over at Tenten. She seemed happy, but periodically rubbed her right forearm, which was just one of a growing list of things that was worrying him. Here she was, his best friend, the person he knew best outside of his own family…..And yet there was so much about her that he wasn't sure about anymore. Not that he even knew all that much, anyway.

Glancing over at him, Tenten noticed her friend was staring intently at her, as if waiting for her to morph into some strange shape or other, or do some other crazy thing. Humorously, one could've assumed, given his lineage, that he may be debating whether or not to use his Byakugan on her when she wasn't looking. She decided to take this interpretation, if only to tease him and lighten the mood. "No, you _can't_ use your Byakugan to scope out my body," she said, striking a sensual pose to goad him. "A nice body though it may be," she said, winking.

Unfortunately, Neji either found the joke unfunny or totally ignored it. Those were the only things she could think, because looking at him, his stony, almost worried expression didn't change at all.

Finally, after several tense seconds of awkward silence, he spoke.

"Tenten….._Who are you?_"

* * *

Just who _is_ Tenten, anyway? Read on to find out!


	16. The Mysterious Weapons Specialist!

Ever wonder what Tenten's past was like?

* * *

Chapter 16- The Mysterious Weapons Specialist!

Tenten gaped at Neji. "Wh-what do you _mean_, 'who are you'? I'm Tenten! Tenten, just like I've always been!"

"Yes, but who _is_ Tenten?"

"M-my _backstory_? Oh Kami, Neji…We've been through this before! I don't even remember what my _name_ was before we met and I started calling myself 'Tenten'!"

"Well, I want to go through it _again_. Maybe we missed something."

"That'd be a neat trick," the brown-haired kunoichi muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" inquired Neji.

"_Nothing_, it was nothing. Let's just get this interrogation over with so we can get back to the party, okay?"

"Gladly."

And with that, they began to delve into their shared history, something they had done quite a few times in the past, much to Tenten's annoyance. She was the kind of person who preferred to live for the future, or at least live for the day at hand. She absolutely hated revisiting the past if she didn't have to, or if there wasn't some sort of precious memory hidden in it. But that was the key phrase, "precious memories." They were precious because _she had so few of them_. Disturbingly, the only ones she had that were vivid were all ones she shared with others, usually Neji. Even her earlier memories from the time when she met Neji were generally hazy at best.

They were both just four years old when they first met. It wasn't under the best of circumstances. It had been raining heavily that day, but Hiashi had sent his brother and nephew out on some "important" errand, the exact nature of which Neji never knew, regardless. However, on their way back home, Hizashi and Neji came across a tragic sight. There, in the rain, a thin little girl was lying in the street, right hand reaching out as if she collapsed while attempting to enter a shed. Hizashi's eyes widened when he saw the crater behind the shed and realized exactly where they were.

Sighing, he muttered, "How did a decision to take a different route home turn out like this?" as he checked the girl's pulse.

Fortunately, it seemed that she collapsed more from hunger than anything else, for in the next moment, she had managed to turn her head, which was face-down on the ground, to at least look at him.

Scooping her up in his arms, Hiashi ran straight for the village hospital, cursing that he couldn't even curse his ambiguous luck for being bad as he took a detour which would doubtlessly take hours and get him in trouble with his brother afterward.

Neji and Tenten both paused to comment on how they were convinced that that cursing episode, though mostly performed under Hizashi's breath, was a big influence in their shared habit of using coarse language when in stressful situations.

When Hizashi arrived at the hospital, Tenten was immediately dried off and fed. Humorously, though she was weak and lethargic until that point, her eyes snapped open once the nurses offered her a bowl of fruit and one of nuts, the former of which she devoured almost immediately.

Once she had finished, Hizashi decided to reach out to her, asking, "What's your name, child?"

Staring at him for a few seconds while she mulled it over, the little girl with the mouse-brown hair finally said with a moderately heavy foreign accent, "I…..I….I don't know."

Suddenly, Neji burst out laughing. "Haha! You don't even know your own name? Hahaha—"

_**THWAK.**_

"Owwww!" the young boy whined. Looking around to see what had just struck his forehead, Neji saw the now-empty plastic bowl that the nurses had previously filled with fruit and given to the girl. Rubbing his forehead at the point of impact, he shouted, "Hey! What the heck was that for?"

"For laughing at me, what else?" came the cheeky reply.

"Grr….Why you….I _dare_ you to try that again!"

"If you say so," the young girl replied defiantly, reaching into the other plastic bowl on her tray.

Unfortunately, Neji realized much too late that this was the bowl that contained the nuts.

Without warning, Tenten retracted her hand from the nut bowl, holding three nuts between her fingers as one would hold shuriken, and began rapidly pelting her unfortunate victim with the shelled and salted snacks.

"Owowow!" Neji cried. Once the barrage had ceased, he reclaimed his proud posture. "Haha! Was that it?"

_Plink._

"A-apparently not…" Neji commented, rubbing his forehead as his father pinched the bridge of his own nose in exasperation.

Turning to the nurses who were present, Hizashi apologized for the brewing chaos, saying, "Sorry about this….My son isn't usually like this at all."

"Oh, it's nothing," one of the nurses replied, "Our shifts are over for the day regardless. We're just sticking around because this is actually pretty cu—"

"Ahh!" exclaimed Neji, "Were you aiming at this spot the whole time?" he demanded, pointing at a decently-sized red mark on his forehead, where both the bowl and all the thrown nuts had connected with his skull.

"Heh, yep! I'm pretty good, aren't I?" Tenten replied, giggling.

As the children continued to bicker, one of the nurses muttered to her companion, "That girl….It's almost like she has ten-out-of-ten accuracy…"

Hearing this, Tenten froze and looked at her. "'Ten-out-of-ten accuracy'? Is that supposed to be my name or something? Sounds….Kinda weird."

The nurses laughed good-naturedly, while Hizashi merely smiled.

"No, child," one of the two nurses said, "I was simply complimenting you on your accuracy. All your attacks found their mark."

"'Tenten'?" Now Neji was in on the discussion. "You mean like this?" he asked as he went to the nearest available whiteboard, and with permission, drew out the kanji _ten_, or "heaven," twice.

Hizashi nodded. "Hm, you may be onto something, son," he said. "Also, 'tenten' can be used to refer to the dots we use to 'soften' sounds in writing," he continued, prompting blank stares from both children. "Look at it this way," he said, going to the whiteboard himself, "What is this?" he asked, drawing out the hiragana character "Ka" large enough for everyone to see.

"That's 'ka'," both children said in unison. "And now?" he asked, adding on the "tenten" dots.

Neji was the first to answer, saying, "Now it says 'ga'."

"Yes, son, that's right," replied Hizashi smiling.

Tenten was unusually quiet, and eventually, all eyes were on her. It looked like she was deep in thought, or at least, as deep in thought as a four year old could get. "'Tenten'…..It's got a lot of meanings to it, huh? It's such a weird word….But I think it sounds familiar." After a few more seconds of silence, she finally spoke up again. "Y'know….I kinda like it. I guess that's my name from now on!" she exclaimed, grinning.

By the time Neji and Tenten had gotten to the end of the tale of how they met, both were laughing so hard they needed to sit down on a nearby stone bench. "Haha, you used to be such a _nerd_, Neji!" gasped Tenten.

"Tch, so what if I was? And where'd that accent of yours go, anyway?" he retorted, grinning.

Tenten thought about it for a second. "Oh, yeah! Remember, when we were in the Academy together….?"

"Maybe we should revisit that one next," replied Neji.

By the time both Neji and Tenten were six years old, she was placed into Iruka-sensei's class at the Ninja Academy. One day, after classes were over, Neji approached Tenten.

"C'mon," he said, "I'll show you around."

Tenten blinked. "'Show me around'? Around what?"

"Around school, dummy," Neji replied, smiling.

By then, Tenten's accent had lessened considerably, though she still had the same cheeky giggle. "Haha, _you're_ the dummy!" she replied, "I've _always_ been a student here! Maybe _you're_ new and _I_ need to show _you_ around!"

Neji was understandably confused. "Wh-what? But I've never seen you he-"

"Iruka-sensei isn't the _only_ teacher here," she replied plainly, cutting him off. "Until this year, I was in Mizuki-sensei's class."

"Ah, I see. No wonder I never saw you around; Mizuki-sensei's class always does things at different times from ours."

"Yep! Well, I have to go now….Bye!" she replied as she ran off at full speed, not waiting for him to reply.

Neji watched her as she ran, feeling a mixture of worry and a strange joy, the latter of which his eventual best friend would never let him live down. She was pretty much a loner, except for where he was concerned. Some people even talked about her behind her back, calling her "that weird foreign girl" and other names. Neji knew what it was like to have people talking behind your back. After all, not only had his own father been dead for two years now, at home he had to deal with those detestable Main Branch members constantly whispering about "his side of the family", meaning the side of the family that Neji should've become the head of, but now could not since he was not yet old enough to take on the responsibility. Without much more thought, he took off after her. After all, she might need a friend…..And it's not like she had eyes in the back of her head, right? As long as he was careful, he didn't need to worry about being seen and possibly embarrassed.

However, the last part of his rationalization never came to pass. As soon as he left the classroom, he found the hallway totally deserted. Sensing something was wrong, he immediately began to look around. He may not have been able to activate his Byakugan properly just then, but he could still investigate, just like anyone else. What he found only added to his worry: a crack in the wall, with a couple drops of blood on the floor…..And one of those little red strings Tenten liked to tie her hair buns in place with. Even though he hardly knew her, their short time in the same class had already told him she _loathed_ being seen with her hair down, though Neji had no idea why. All he knew was, there was _no way_ she would willingly remove one of her hair-ties in public. Combined with the other evidence, Neji _knew_ something was wrong. Now, a _sensible_ person would've run to the teachers' office, or at least screamed for help. However, Neji wasn't exactly a "sensible person." He was a six-year-old boy who had recently lost his father and had his closest friend go missing practically under his nose. So, seeing a faint trail comprised of more blood droplets, he did what he figured any smart, brave boy would do in his situation- he followed the trail in hopes of finding his friend.

"After all," he told himself, "I'm a Hyuga. Cadet Branch or not, I can take down whoever it is! Tenten, that had just better not been your head or something….."

His thoughts were cut short by a scream.

"Yaaaargh! Dammit, she bit my arm! Kenshiro, get 'er offa me you idiot!"

Luckily, Tenten was still alive. Unfortunately, however, she was being set upon by a couple of older boys. Neji recognized them as Onigiri and Kenshiro, two of that year's batch of graduation hopefuls. Onigiri was fat, ugly, and the school's resident bully. His typical modus operendi was to force other kids into giving him their food, though he wasn't averse to the odd beating. The other boy was Kenshiro, a scrawny boy with a face that strongly resembled that of a rat, and unkempt white hair. He was Onigiri's lackey, though he could hold his own in a fight. Tenten was doing surprisingly well- for a girl, at least, Neji thought. By the time he arrived, Kenshiro had already pried his friend off of Onigiri's arm, only to have her knock him flat on his back, grab his face and rake four jagged lines into the skin on either side of his nose, accentuating his rat-like visage with what could be easily be taken for rat's whiskers.

"Ha! How do ya like _that_, rat-boy?" Tenten yelled in his face. No doubt the whisker-mark scratches were completely intentional.

"Tenten!" Neji cried, prompting the girl to turn and look at him, distracting her.

"Neji?"

"Take this!" Onigiri bellowed as he took the opportunity to deliver a cruel right hook to her jaw, sending her flying a short distance into the nearby wall.

"Guh!" she grunted as she impacted the wall, flopping unconscious onto the ground.

"Heh, that'll teach ya to get distracted fighting _me_," gloated Onigiri.

Without warning, Neji appeared between the two boys and their prey. "Stop it!" he demanded, "Why are you doing this? What did she ever do to you?"

Onigiri simply spat on the ground as Kenshiro dragged himself to his feet. "She's a total weirdo, that's why! She talks weird, and always stays off by herself! Besides, it's not like I'm gonna get in trouble, Hyuga _geek_. She doesn't even have any parents to tattle on me to! Besides, who's gonna take someone who believes in _dragons _seriously?...And for your information, I don't take kindly to some bozo getting in the way when I'm trying to teach somebody a lesson….So if you value your sorry hide, you'll back off, _right now._"

Understandably, all this talk was making Neji angry. So angry, in fact, that he was tempted to attack blindly. After all, what Onigiri said, and all this bullying….It was so _unfair_. "Why do things have to be this way…?" Neji thought to himself. "Why, _why_?" The word "unfair" brought so many painful memories to the forefront of Neji's mind- chiefly among them his father's fate. "Why'd you have to die?" he wanted to scream at his father. "Why did you let them kill you? Why did you leave….me….Why?"

Suddenly, as if summoned, Neji's father appeared in his mind. "You're angry, aren't you," he said.

"Well of _course_ I'm angry!" Neji thought.

"Good," said Hizashi, "Now concentrate… _channel_ that anger….Use it to your advantage!"

Suddenly, Onigiri began to grin menacingly. "Won't move, huh?" he asked. "Aw, what's the matter? _Crying_? Puh-lease….What a wuss!"

It was true, Neji _was_ crying, but not out of fear- his tears were a fusion of all the grief he was feeling…..And pure, unadulterated _hatred._

"Heheh! Well, I got something for you Hyuga punks anyway! If you wanna get beat up, that's fine by me!" Onigiri bellowed, charging, "I'll kill you, then I'll kill yer little freak friend!"

Neji began to growl, the grass near his small feet rustling from the change in his aura. "Grr…_**I won't let you**_**!**" he screamed as the veins around his eyes began to buldge.

_**THWACK THWACK THWACK!**_

Reeling from the last blow, Onigiri was stunned to see the face of the child he was about to strike down had active Byakugan. "Wh-what the hell…?" he sputtered, "Sh-shouldn't that only happen when he turns twelve or something?...Why can't I move my right arm….?" Seeing it flopping lifelessly at his side, the young thug flew into a rage. "Damn you! That's my punching arm! Now you're _really_ gonna—" he was cut off by the swift appearance of a figure between the four children- Iruka-sensei.

"_That..is quite enough,_" he said sternly.

"Gotta give him some credit," Kenshiro muttered from behind the bloodied hand he was using to cover the scratches Tenten gave him, "Iruka-sensei knows how to make an entrance."

However, even more surprising to most of the children than Iruka's sudden materialization on their impromptu battlefield, was the fact that he was holding a good-sized rock just a couple of centimeters away from Onigiri's skull.

"Wh-whut the hell?" the boy exclaimed, jumping backward.

With his Byakugan's ability to see almost all the way around him, Neji was the first of the children to realize exactly what had happened- Tenten had awakened, and after having maneuvered herself so she was standing a short distance away from Neji, had thrown the stone at Onigiri. Given the fact nobody had seen it until Iruka-sensei caught it, there was a good chance that the bully might've died from that blow. However, it had apparently taken everything Tenten had left, for she was collapsed, in a position eerily similar to the one she had been in when Neji and his father had found her collapsed in the street just two years ago.

Scooping her up, Iruka turned to the boys. "I'm going to need you to accompany me to the Konoha hospital," he said. "_Now_."

Once he ensured that Tenten and Kenshiro had received adequate medical attention, Iruka had a stern talk with both Onigiri and Neji.

"Onigiri, Tenten was bleeding from the abdominal region. It was a _kunai wound_. She's a little too young to be able to handle real weapons, isn't she?"

"Um….No?" the young thug asked hopefully.

"Show me your kunai, Onigiri. That's an _order_."

Reluctantly, the ogre of a boy handed over his kunai holster.

From it, Iruka deftly skimmed through the bladed weapons, until he found one that had obvious traces of blood on it. "I'm gonna need you to stay here, son," Iruka said quietly.

"But—" complained Onigiri.

Iruka's glare cut him off.

"Y-yes, sir," he said resignedly as another chunin took him into custody.

Turning to Neji, Iruka's expression softened slightly. "Neji, you're not in any real trouble, but I need you to tell me something. Since you entered the fight as a third party, I can trust you to give an account of what happened." Once Neji finished his account of the events, from finding evidence of a struggle outside the classroom up until the point when Iruka had appeared, Iruka knelt so as to be at eye level with the young shinobi. "Alright," he said, "Now I need you to answer another, very important question for me. Do you think you're up for it?"

"Of course," Neji said, swallowing. What was with Iruka-sensei, asking so many questions all of a sudden? "But first," he interrupted, "Is Tenten alright?"

"She needed some intensive care for some of the injuries she sustained in that fight," explained Iruka, "But she's expected to make a full recovery."

Neji sighed with relief. At least he was able to save _one_ person he cared about.

"Now, my turn," said Iruka, bringing Neji back down to Earth. "That rock…..I think you and I both know that it would have killed Onigiri. Think long and hard about this, because I'm asking you to be a character witness for this incident- do you think, reasonably speaking, that Tenten threw that rock meaning to kill him?"

The notion of Tenten attempting murder shocked Neji. It scared him, even. Was his friend capable of such things? After some thought, he decided that the notion was much too preposterous. "N-no way," he finally said. "She….Tenten would never….," he said, trailing off.

"Okay," replied Iruka, "But then why did she throw the rock?"

This time, Neji's answer came quicker. "Because," he began, "She was trying to protect me. She must've sensed something from Onigiri as he tried to charge at us again. Probably killing intent or something. That's gotta be it."

"Okay," replied Iruka, looking slightly relieved, "I think that should be it for questions. C'mon, I'll take you to see her, if you want."

Neji accepted his offer, but soon wished he hadn't. She looked like she was in bad shape. She was still unconscious, and hooked up to an array of machines, none of which Neji could name. Thankfully, though, he had the sense she would still make it through this. After all, if she could hold her own against two boys twice her age, what trouble was the recovery from that fight?

There in the hospital room, as he watched his friend lay there, Neji made a solemn vow. "Fate made this happen," he thought to himself. "_Fate_ is why she's different. _Fate_ is why my father died. Fate….If this is all fate is, I will fight it. No….I _have_ to fight. For my father….For myself…..And for _her_."

Back in the present, Neji clenched his fist. A little more than eleven years ago, he had made that promise. He finally told Tenten about it during their first year as genin, a good six years later, when she expressed concern that he was steadily becoming more stoic and angry. He was still fighting today. He'd always been fighting, though for a while until Naruto set him straight, he was going about it the wrong way.

However, Tenten's mind was clearly somewhere else. "Dammit, I could've won that fight if you hadn't stepped in!" grunted Tenten.

"Not _again_," moaned Neji.

"What?" she asked, poking him with her finger. "_You_ can force me to dig up our past, but _I_ can't talk about it?"

"No, it's not like….Well….I guess you _do_ have a point," he said, sighing. "Whatever happened to those two thugs, anyway?"

"Quick to change the subject, eh?" Tenten replied with her trademark cheeky grin. "Last I heard, that little 'incident' got their sorry asses expelled," she said plainly.

"Not that much happened between then and the year we met Naruto, did it?" he asked.

"Nope, I guess not. We got closer as friends….Came to accept Lee and Gai-sensei's…antics….And yeah, that's about it," she said, counting on her fingers as she spoke, to make sure she included everything. Right after she finished counting, she began rubbing her forearm again, as she had been the whole time they were reminiscing.

Between rubs, Neji was able to see some sort of black mark. Had she gotten a tattoo she didn't want to show him? Or was that just an embarrassing birthmark or something? "Hey," he said, seeing that she had begun to rub the area more intensely. "You alright?"

She looked slightly nervous at his question. "Uh…Yeah," she replied unconvincingly. "Just an annoying itch, that's, um, all."

"Some itch," he retorted incredulously. "You've been rubbing that spot for the entire time we've been talking."

"I told you," she said. "It's….Nothing."

"Maybe I should give her something else to think about," he thought to himself. "Hey," he said again.

"_What_?" she replied, clearly annoyed by this point.

"Do you still have that….Y'know, that….Scar?"

Tenten's expression softened slightly. Sighing, she stood. "Yeah," she said, slowly lifting her tunic, "Here, take a look. It's where it's always been."

Neji saw it immediately- a small, faint scar located high on her abdomen, just under her left breast. "See it?" she asked. "You better not be looking anywhere else!"

"I see it," he said, prompting her to swiftly and deftly return her top to the way it originally was.

"Phew," she sighed. "What a relief. I'm just glad no one walked by; otherwise, they would've thought I was flashing you or something!" she joked, grinning.

"Ahahaha," Neji laughed drily. He thought to himself that he wouldn't have minded if she actually did that, but he shook the thought from his mind. He had more pressing matters to think about.

Sitting back down, Tenten said, "Alright, as I was saying earli-" she trailed off as her arm began to feel hot, as if it were ablaze. Suddenly, the blemish on her arm became scalding hot and gained a color to match. Neji finally saw what it was as Tenten thrashed about, smoke coming from her arm- it looked like the tail end of a dragon…..And it was extending, burning the rest of the image of a dragon's body into the unfortunate kunoichi's skin.

_**HISSSSSS!**_

"Aaaaargh!" Tenten shrieked in pain as she fell to the ground. By now, her arm really did look like it was burning, but nothing Neji did was able to put it out- not even dumping water directly on it did absolutely nothing. The smell of burning flesh was nauseating, and even the sight of the smoke was terrifying. It didn't help matters for Neji that the burning flesh and the screams of pain belonged to one of the people he cared most about in the world- and this time, he couldn't do anything to protect her. Eventually, both the burning and Tenten's screams ceased.

To Neji's great relief, she had merely fainted. Eerily enough, she was once again in that same position as when they first met. Was that just the position she always assumed when she collapsed? He would have to ask her that when he wasn't busy worrying about her. Her right hand was once again extended, so he could see the smoldering brand on her forearm. It was the silhouette of a dragon, running down the length of her arm. Its mouth was open, and in it was a circle. Neji took it to be the orb that all dragons were supposed to have. In every dragon legend he'd ever heard, especially those he'd heard from Tenten herself, a dragon always carried an orb, usually as a symbol- or sometimes the source- of its nigh-omniscient wisdom. In fact, she had always claimed the Sandaime Hokage's crystal ball was either one of these, or a derivative thereof. However, unlike the crystal ball, which displayed whatever the user wished to see, the "orb" in the mouth of Tenten's dragon mark only had one thing- the kanji for iron, "tetsu".

Suddenly, someone behind Neji gasped. He recognized the voice as Hinata's, but right after she gasped, he was taken by surprise when someone took him roughly by the shoulder. It was Naruto.

"Neji? What the hell happened?"

Neji merely stared back at Naruto with pure confusion written all over his face. "That's something I'd like to know myself, Naruto," he finally replied.

Elsewhere in the village, an ogre was calling his son to the pigsty he called an office. "Onigiri! Get yer lazy ass over here!"

Several thudding footsteps later, the other ogre appeared. "Yeah, Dad?" he asked.

Detecting the arrogance in his son's voice, the monster threw…..something at him. Even he had no idea what exactly it was. "Don't you _dare_ talk to me that way!" the older man-monster growled.

"Alright, alright, Pop," Onigiri replied, "So what d'you want me to do?"

"Some punk-ass ninja showed me up recently, and apparently a buncha tenants saw it. Now those morons think they can all suddenly stand up to me!"

"So you want me to go 'make the rounds?'"

"Nah. I can have any of my guys do that. What I need _you_ to do, is go get your friend, Ken-what's-his-face, and—"

"It's _Kenshiro_, Dad. His name is Kenshiro."

"Look, do I give a damn? Anyway, that ninja punk is at a party tonight, at the Hyuga estate."

Onigiri's face lit up. "Oh, I get it! You want me and Kenshiro to crash that bozo's party, huh? Sounds good to me!"

"Good boy," said his father, "And when you do, make sure he knows that _Yama_ sent you. I'm sick a' all these jokers, think they can get up in _my_ business….."

"Damn straight," replied his son, "Don't worry about it, Dad. me and Kenshiro have this covered."

Onigiri met his old flunky by the door.

"D-did I hear that right?" he asked timidly. While Onigiri hadn't changed much in those eleven years except for gaining muscle, Kenshiro looked considerably thin, and had even developed both a stutter and a nose twitch. In short, both in appearance and personality, he'd become a human rat. In fact, no one but Onigiri even called him by his proper name anymore. He mostly went by the pseudonym "Nezumi" (A/N: Nezumi means rat) now. "S-s-so the b-boss wants us t-to crash a party?" he asked, twitching once.

"Yeah," grunted his ogre-like friend. "And who knows? Maybe you-know-who is there. My sources say they're tight."

"B-but _I_ d-d-d-don't know wh-who," stuttered Nezumi.

"That Hyuga brat, you idiot!" bellowed Onigiri, raising his fist as Nezumi cowered with fear.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry!" he whined. "H-hold on," he said. "D-doesn't th-that m-m-mean that that _girl_ is with him? Th-they're h-hardly ever apart."

"How the hell would you know that?" Onigiri asked almost jokingly.

"I-I've been f-f-following her around," replied the rat-man sniggering, "I kn-know _what_ she does, and _when_ she does it...Did you know she sleeps in the _nude_ when she's alone on summer nights? Heheheh, imagine if I caught her in bed...!"

"Ugh. Have I mentioned you even manage to creep _me_ out sometimes?"

"S-sorry," apologized Nezumi.

Suddenly, a man stepped out from the shadows. "Good evening, gentlemen," he said.

After biting back his yelp of alarm, Onigiri snorted, "You a ninja, pops?"

The stranger merely shook his head. "No, no. Not a ninja. As you can plainly see by my attire, I am a _samurai_."

Upon closer inspection, the man really was wearing samurai armor, though it was black in color and therefore hard to see unless he was standing in direct light.

"Yeah? Well what's yer name?"

"It's Muramasa Sengo," the shady samurai replied, "And may I have the pleasure of knowing yours?"

"I'm Onigiri and this here is Nezumi. Now what the hell ya want? We're busy!"

"My, how impatient," chided Muramasa, "And all I wished to do was bestow _gifts_ upon you fine gentlemen. Oh well, perhaps the _ninjas_ would appreciate this gesture more…?" he replied, beginning to walk away.

"Hold on, old man," Onigiri said, grabbing hold of the samurai's sleeve. "I never told you to _leave_; I just wanted you to state yer business."

"Very well then," replied Muramasa. "If that is the case, I present _these_ to you," he said, holding out his hands. Onigiri snorted. "There ain't nothin' there," he said.

"Ah, but now….." Muramasa replied as two sheathed blades materialized in his hands. One was a katana, the other, a wakizashi. "My own handiwork," the old samurai said. "They need to be tested, however, which is where fine warriors like yourselves come in. I heard about your….engagement tonight, and simply request that you use these to accomplish that task."

Nezumi finally spoke up. "S-so we just try and cut people with 'em?" he asked, with a dangerous level of excitement.

"Why yes, precisely," replied the silver-tongued samurai. "However, I need them returned to me afterward. Do not fear; I shall supply you with replacements when we next meet. All I ask is that you simply use these blades to carry on with your little assault, and then return them to me."

"Well what if we don't wanna give 'em back?" demanded Onigiri. "Oh, that would be terribly unfortunate. These blades are worth much to me- say, one hundred thousand ryo, each?"

"Make it _two_ thousand each and you got a deal, old man," Onigiri replied gruffly.

"Very good, very, _very_ good….." the grizzled samurai said as he disappeared.

"Boy, was that ever creepy," grunted the musclebound thug. "Hey Nezumi, you—Hey, are you okay?"

Nezumi was most decidedly _not_ okay. He was unharmed physically, but he was fondling his new wakizashi like he had found its weight in solid gold, and his eyes were practically glowing with glee. "Heheheh….Now I can finally get back at that _bitch_," he growled. "Wonder what kind of mark I should give_her_?" he asked to no one in particular, now eerily staring at his bulkier friend as his nose- and the eleven year old whisker scars- twitched.

Inside the futon that her female friends had wrestled her into, Tenten spontaneously shivered. Nobody knew it at the time, but their temporary peace wouldn't last as long as they thought it would.

* * *

I suppose what they say is true- every action has a consequence. Wonder what will happen when those two get to their destination? And what's Muramasa's deal? All this and more, in the next chapter! Stay tuned!


	17. Dragons and Demons!

You know the drill. Original characters are mine, canon characters are Kishi's.

* * *

Chapter 17- Dragons and Demons!

"Ngh," Tenten groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. The last thing she remembered, she was on the grounds of the Hyuga Estate, her arm literally on fire. However…..This new setting didn't quite feel like that. For one, her arm was completely fine. No weird marks, no burning, no pain. And then there was that odd, floating sensation, as if she were levitating. Finally, there was that creepy heavy breathing. Neji wasn't the type to breathe that heavily, even as a joke. She surmised that it had to be either Naruto or Kiba, possibly Akamaru given his size. Snapping her honey-brown eyes open, she sat bolt-upright, hoping to scare the living daylights out of whoever was trying to creep her out. Unfortunately, she was the one who was surprised as the momentum gained by sitting up caused her to make a slow. 360-degree forward flip in midair. She really was floating…..But over what? In all directions, all she could see was pure white. No matter what she did, however, she found that she could not move freely. "Well, I should at least find out where the hell that breathing is comeing from," she thought to herself. By that point, she had turned around 180 degrees. Turning back around, she received the fright of her life. Floating not two meters from her was the massive, silvery, snaking form of a dragon!

"Kyaaaaa!" she screamed, causing the dragon to shut his eyes in pain.

"Raaaaagh!" it roared. "What's your problem?" it demanded, "You usually _love_ dragons!"

Tenten blinked. "Okay, _what_?" she said aloud, "How am I able to understand you?"

"Well, ya see," the dragon began.

"Oh, I get it now," Tenten said, interrupting him. "Naruto, is that you? Nice work with the Genjutsu, but I'd appreciate you releasing it now!"

The dragon blinked and snorted. "First of all, kid, I was talking. Second, Naruto's not here."

Remaining defiant, the kunoichi scowled. "Okay, that's it! I'll release it myself, and you'll be in for one helluva whupping when I get out!" she shouted. "Last chance, Naruto! Release it now!"When there was no response, she sighed and formed the Tiger handseal. "Fine then….Your fate is sealed! Kai!"

The dragon broke the awkward silence that followed with a roaring guffawing. "Bwahaha! What the heck was that supposed to do?"

"Dispel…the….illusion…?" Tenten asked, partially worried, but mostly confused.

"_What_ illusion?" the dragon asked bluntly. "I'm as real as you are. And yeah, you're real."

"Wh-whoa," muttered Tenten.

"Name's Tetsu-ryu, but you can call me 'Tetsu' for short if ya want. Looks like you need a…crash course," he finished, his mouth forming a sinister smile.

"What do you meaaaaaaargh!" Tenten screamed as she began to plummet toward what appeared to be a lush forest bordering a mountain and a lake, which had suddenly sprung into existence not two seconds ago.

In a blur of slivery scales, Tetsu had caught her on his long, serpentine back. "Ah, I got a lot to tell ya, kid. You wanna listen? Or…," he said, leaning dangerously far into his next turn.

"I'll listen, I'll listen!" shouted Tenten hanging on for dear life.

"Good girl," said the dragon.

"She's sweating," Sakura muttered as she mopped Tenten's brow with a towel. She wasn't sure why her friend had suddenly collapsed as she had, or why her arm had burst into flame. She had even less idea about why the burn scar took the appearance and color of a dragon tattoo, or why Tenten was currently sweating and knitting her brows intermittently, as if she was having some sort of nightmare. Even so, she felt that she did not need to bother Tsunade-sama or anyone else with the issue. After all, she had Ino with her to help, and Tenten didn't have any known family to go to. The Hyuga Estate was nearly as good as any hospital anyway- clean, neatly organized, and well-stocked with first-aid supplies and herbal remedies, the latter of which were made by several clan members themselves for either sale or their own use.

Sakura turned at the sound of the door quietly sliding open to see Hinata enter the room.

"Here are the extra towels you requested," said the reticent kunoichi quietly."How is she?"

"Stable, I s'pose," muttered Sakura in reply. "What I don't get is, what's up with her temperature? She doesn't show any strange symptoms other than her temperature, the fact that she's sweating, and the fact that she's unconscious. According to Neji, she was perfectly fine until her arm had _that_ burned into it," she finished, pointing at the mark that was branded onto Tenten's arm. The sudden flames had burned her skin black in the image of the silhouette of a dragon, holding an orb in its mouth with the kanji for iron, "Tetsu," circumscribed within the orb.

"That was really bizarre, wasn't it?" muttered Ino. "Wonder what happened?"

"Whatever happened," Hinata said gravely, "This mark….It doesn't show any other sign of being a burn."

Sakura blinked. Having already assumed it was some sort of burn, she neglected to confirm her suspicions while trying to awaken her friend. "No burn symptoms, huh?" she asked.

"No, there aren't any. To be honest, it's more like a tattoo."

At this, Ino sniffed. "Oh, that _cannot_ be a tattoo. There's just no way even a total tomboy like Tenten would get something so….tacky!"

"And suddenly you're an expert on tattoos, eh?" Sakura replied, tuning to her blonde friend with a bemused expression. "Hey, Hinata…..Try using your Byakugan. If there's no sign of burning, then maybe it was—"

"Chakra," Hinata interrupted, having already done as she was asked, "There's a fair amount of residual chakra focused into the skin in the area of the mark. Those flames weren't actual flames."

"Okay….So the next thing we need to figure out is…Who did this?"

As her three best friends mulled over the possibilities, Tenten found herself trying to take in what Tetsu-ryu was telling her. For one, the dragon was apparently supposed to be her familiar. Secondly, she had a family. Thirdly, and finally, her family wasn't even from Konoha, or even the Land of Fire to begin with.

"I…..I have a family?" she repeated, gaping at the beast.

"Yeah," he grunted. Now—"

"Then let me ask you one thing," she interrupted him. "I don't know whether I've been drugged, hypnotized, or what….But _assuming_ you're telling me the truth, Tetsu…..Where the _hell_ are they? Why haven't they come for me?"

"Ah. Well, that's simple. Y'see—" the drogon began, until a small red gem on his forehead, which Tenten hadn't noticed previously, began to glow. "Owowowow! Okay, okay! I'll stop….Just turn it off already!" At this, the gem's glow faded. "Craaap," the metallic behemoth growled. "Guess they don't want me to tell ya for some reason. Not yet, anyway."

"What? Why the hell not?"

"Who knows?" replied Tetsu blithely. "It could be anything. Either you're just not ready to know yet, or maybe there are enemies nearby who might somehow learn about your family, or something like that."

Sighing bitterly, the brown-haired kunoichi changed the subject. "Fine, next question. If you're supposed to be my familiar, where the heck were you all these years?"

"In here," he replied as he extended a claw to gently tap her chest where her heart would be. "In your family," he began, pausing to check if the gem would act up again, "Dragons are- How should I say it?- Dragons are born of people's hearts and souls."

"Then why are you a _guy_?" she asked flatly.

"Hey, we may be _born_ of your hearts and souls, but that doesn't mean _everything_ has to match up!"

Outside the walls of the estate, Onigiri and his lackey Nezumi had just arrived.

"Alright, rat-boy, you first," grunted Onigiri as he positioned himself to boost his friend up.

"Peh!" the formerly-timid Nezumi replied. "We used to be _ninja_, you know!" he hissed, leaping straight over the wall.

Muttering a few choice insults under his breath, Onigiri clambered after him.

From the shadows, an old man in black armor watched them, smiling. "That will show that _whelp_," he thought, "To try and strive for lasting peace! _War_ is our way, our livelihood! With Mifune and his son- my own student- at the helm of our nation, we will surely fall to this ninja scum!"

Earlier that evening, Muramasa had attempted to get his student's support against the ninja, but he had refused.

"But _why_?" demanded the old man. "Am I not the man who trained you to be who you are today? Did I not teach you to be strong?"

"Yes," replied the younger warrior, "But you also taught me to know who my allies and enemies are, sensei. And I, Masamune, will stand with my father, Mifune, to ally with these ninja villages as long as they bear us no ill will!"After that, the youth had stormed off, leaving his teacher standing there at the corner of the street.

"You say you will support them until they show us ill will, boy?" the old man growled under his breath. "How unfortunate that you could not detect the malice that was all around you to begin with! It is far better that you think of me as an enemy now, than to see our nation suffer when these wretches take a proper hold!"

Elsewhere in Konoha, Masamune shivered. "Brr," he muttered. "The night is warm….So then what was that chill I felt just now?" Sensing danger, he returned to his room at the inn to arm himself. Strapping on his crimson armor and his trusty swords, he set out to find the enemy presence he was sensing. He wanted to handle the situation as quickly and as quietly as possible- after all, most of the people in that village were celebrating that night. He did not wish to put a damper on any of the festivities.

Little did he know, his own sensei was planning a "party" of his own, using two of Konoha's very own as his pawns.

Once they finally got onto the Hyuga clan's property, Onigiri and Nezumi were shocked to see that no one was outside partying.

"Craaaap," whined the larger thug. "Looks like a bust. Well, I'd rather get chewed out by my dad than freaking _die_ here….Let's go, Nezumi!...Nezumi?" Looking around, all Onigiri could see was the courtyard and the darkness of the night. His friend was nowhere to be found. Growing worried, he began to creep around, searching for his unstable compatriot. What he found nearly made him jump out of his skin- fat and all.

There he was, the man with the unkempt white hair and the rat-like features, kneeling over one of the guards as another just stood there, transfixed at the sight of his friend lying on the ground.

Noticing Onigiri, the still-conscious guard hailed him shakily, "H-halt! Who goes there?"

Just as Onigiri was busy trying to form some sort of coherent excuse as to why he was there so late at night, and why his so-called friend had- somehow- just knocked a Hyuga unconscious on their own turf, the second guard suddenly collapsed. Desperate to make sure the guard didn't fall into a noisy heap and alert others, Onigiri rushed forward, nearly colliding with Nezumi as he did. Grabbing his friend roughly by the collar, he began hissing into his ear, "Are you _crazy_? What the hell d'you think you're doing?" Then he saw it- the wakizashi blade that Nezumi had received from the old samurai.

"Draw your weapon," Nezumi hissed back, "I dunno _how_, but as long as we have them drawn, we're invisible to even the Byakugan!"

His courage bolstered, Onigiri yanked his sword out of its sheath. "So, I just have it out like this and they can't see me?"

"That's about right," replied Nezumi. "Now let's have some _fun_," he continued, licking his blade disturbingly. "Can't wait to hear her _scream_ while I drag this blade across her pretty face!"

Coming out of her room to get herself a drink of water, Hanabi rubbed her eyes. The hallway lights were always so annoyingly bright. She missed the old days- the days when they carried candles with their soft glow, or the days when her mother would leave her a glass of water on her desk, so that all the then-little girl had to do was crawl out of her futon to get a drink. Eventually, after her mother passed away, Hinata, her elder sister, had taken up the duty for a time, until Hanabi had finally insisted she was old enough to get her own water like everyone else. Hinata had seemed so disappointed that day….But also glad. Lost in thought about her mother and her sister, Hanabi failed to notice the fact that two armed thugs were entering her front door.

"Okay," the smaller one of them hissed, "We're in."

"Heh heh heh," chuckled his larger friend, "Wonder what they'll say when they find out a couple 'rejects' like us broke into the friggin' Hyuga estate's main house?"

Hanabi blinked, then rubbed her eyes again, convinced she was dreaming, or at least half-asleep. "I dunno," she replied, yawning. "Looks like you're doing an awfully bad job of it, if you ask me."

Suddenly, the would-be bandits froze in their tracks. "Yo Nezumi….I think the kid _saw_ us!"

"Don't be a moron!"

"Of _course_ I see you guys," retorted Hanabi, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, Kami…This isn't a dream, is it?" she said, as she dropped into a fighting stance. "Not good," she thought to herself, "I'm having trouble focusing…..Hopefully this won't be too challenging." She didn't have the time to think of anything else, because the one called Nezumi had already raised his blade in preparation to strike at her.

"Die, brat!"

_**CLANG!**_

Hanabi didn't even see what stopped the villain's swing….Until a pair of shuriken landed in the floor on either side of her. As the gentle scent of lavender filled her nostrils, Hanabi realized who had come to her aid- her sister, Hinata.

"Dammit," Nezumi growled. "Now there's another one."

In a flash, Hinata had used the Body Replacement Jutsu to switch places with her sister. "I don't know how you got in here," she said as she glared at the intruders, "But this is as far as you go!"

"Like hell!" shouted Nezumi.

"H-how the hell can they see us?" whined Onigiri.

"Our houses are all equipped with anti-genjutsu barriers at all possible entry points. You'd need nothing short of Sharingan to be able to properly use any sort of illusion technique here," explained Hinata. "Your turn- who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Nezumi chuckled. "Heh heh heh! I'm afraid that's _two_ questions!" he replied.

Onigiri stared at his friend. Perhaps he was mistaken, but he could've sworn that another voice spoke alongside Nezumi's- a sinister, frightening voice.

"If you won't tell me, then maybe you'll tell the authorities when they get here," replied Hinata. "For now….It's time you went to sleep!" As she said this, she rushed forward and jabbed both of them in multiple chakra points. Standing behind them, she formed her hands into fists and drew them in to her sides, her hair flying as she supercharged her hands with chakra. Forming lion's heads around her firsts, she shouted, "Gentle Step: Twin Lion Rush!" and charged forward, driving both of her enemies into the floor with simultaneous supercharged dashing punches.

_**CRASH!**_

"There," thought Hinata as she returned to her original stance, "That should've woken up enough people….Right?"

Little did she notice that, as she scanned behind her for more combatants, the supposedly unconscious bodies of her sister's attackers….twitched.

Arriving outside the Hyuga compound, Masamune was shocked by what he found. All the guards were unconscious, and his teacher, Muramasa, was seated in the middle of their courtyard, clad in armor.

"S-sensei…?" Masamune hailed him as he approached.

"Ah, so you've come after all," mused the wizened old warrior. "Come, sit."

"Sensei…..Is all this…Is this _your_ doing?"

"If you're referring to the scene before us," the old man said, gesturing around, "Then yes, most of it is my doing."

"But…_Why_?"

"To prove a point!" the wizened old man roared as he stood. "You and your father place too much faith in these ninja. Why should we, proud samurai, have to associate ourselves with this riffraff?" he demanded as he walked towards his protégé. "Watch closely, for tonight, you shall see exactly what would happen if we were to continue this folly of an alliance with these savages."

"Sensei….You didn't….?"

"I _did_. What's the matter, Masamune? Wouldn't this have happened anyway, if we had continued our alliance with them?"

"Sensei, this is out of control," warned the younger warrior.

"Says the whelp who wishes to drive our nation into poverty and servitude," growled the teacher.

Drawing his blade, Masamune spoke with a commanding tone, "I'm sorry, but if you're going to be like this….Then, under the authority vested in me as the son of our leader Mifune, I place you under arrest!"

"You would _dare_ draw your blade against _me_ in this way?" spat the old man, drawing his own sword, "Then _die_, ingrate!"

With that, the two warriors charged at each other.

"That's strange," Hinata mused, "Why hasn't anyone come out?" Checking on her enemies one final time, she turned to Hanabi. "Come with me," she commanded her sister. "I need to check on Tenten and the others, but I can't leave you alone."

Understandably, Hanabi complied.

When they arrived in the guest room where her friends were, Hinata was shocked to find that Ino and Sakura were also lying on the floor alongside Tenten. Judging by how they were slumped over as they were, it was highly unlikely that they were lying that way out of choice.

Rushing over to check on the others out of impulse, Hanabi quickly fell victim to the same technique that had put Sakura and Ino out of commission. "Agh," she groaned as she fell senseless to the floor.

"It seems to be triggered by proximity," Hinata figured. Hearing a scuttling sound behind her, she turned around in order to conserve chakra by not using Byakugan. Seeing nothing, she turned back around, only to be shocked by what she saw. Now standing between her and her friends were the two assailants she had knocked senseless not three minutes previously. However, two vital things were different- neither of them seemed to be fully conscious, and their blades now carried a sinister aura. "Wh-what the….?" she yelped as she dodged a horizontal swing by the hulking Onigiri, losing a few strands of hair in the process. "Better my hair than me," she thought, "I've been thinking of getting a trim, anyway." Snarky thoughts aside, her mind was scrambling for possible explanations. She had just gotten through smashing both of her assailants' heads into the floor. Why were they back up and swinging so soon, when she was sure they each sustained enough of an injury to keep them unconscious for several days? And how had they gotten past her so easily? Why was everyone asleep? What on earth was going on?

Out in the courtyard, the two samurai continued their duel. By now, most of the courtyard was razed, and slash marks were scored everywhere, including the walls and ground.

Seeing his student was beginning to tire, Muramasa took the opportunity to mock him. "Look at you! How long have I taught you, that you can't sustain a battle of decent length without being fatigued midway through! To think, we will entrust the future of our nation to such a warrior as you!"

Gritting his teeth, Masamune straightened his stance and tightened his grip on his blade. "Ha, maybe if you weren't so busy cutting the scenery with that blade of yours, sensei, you'd have actually won by now!"

"And where would be the fun in that?" came the cruelly amused reply. "But enough of this- it's time for Juuichi Yosamu to have his next meal!" he bellowed as he charged at his student.

Surprisingly, Masamune sheathed his sword. "I think my Yawarakai-Te has had enough for one night," he said gently, "Thank you for your help, old friend."

"Sheathing your sword when an enemy is nearly upon you, eh?" laughed Muramasa. "Arrogant whelp! Don't think that'll spare you my wrath!"

Withdrawing a scroll from his belt, Masamune smiled grimly. "I'm afraid it's you who's arrogant, sensei, if you think you've won when I'm just switching blades," he said, quickly opening the scroll. "Come, Shirayuki," he said, causing the parchment to glow. "Lend me your strength."

Muramasa froze in his tracks. "Sh- Shirayuki?" he growled. "How did you get that sword?"

Leveling the blade at his former teacher, Masamune replied, "I _made_ it. It houses the spirit of someone very dear to me….And together, if we must, we _will_ cut you down tonight!" As he said this, the blade began to give off a bright glow, as if responding to his words.

Meanwhile, Hinata continued to dodge the thugs' attacks, discovering along the way that each strike sapped her chakra, whether it hit her or not. "It's just like the intel said about the Samehada sword of Kirigakure," the ebony-haired kunoichi mused.

All of a sudden, both intruders grabbed their own heads with both hands.

"Grrrrrrah!" the smaller one roared. "No way I'm lettin' _you_ take over!" he shouted, apparently at no one in particular. Noticing Hinata, he growled again. "_You_," he hissed, baring his teeth savagely. "Where's your friend? The one called 'Tenten'?"

By now, HInata was cornered. She had to get around, over, or through them, otherwise she was at their mercy.

Nezumi, clearly losing his patience, snapped, "Tell me where she is _right now_, or I'll burn this infernal place down with every last one of you in it!"

Out of desperation, Hinata tried to push her way through them, landing a few palm strikes while she was at it. However, she didn't get through unscathed. While the larger assailant was still reeling from whatever ailed him, his partner had landed a clean stroke between two of her ribs. It wasn't a critical wound, but it wasn't a minor one, either. As she had no knowledge of medical ninjutsu, she would just have to use chakra to seal the wound temporarily and hope she held out long enough for Sakura to heal it when she woke up from whatever jutsu she was under. However, something else was going on. She began to feel cold and light-headed, which was strange, seeing as she would ordinarily still be able to fight. As her limbs turned to lead, Hinata's knees buckled as she clutched her wound. Clearly, she had missed something. Why was her body responding this way?

Back in the courtyard, the samurais' battle grew ever fiercer by the minute.

Sensing a change in the atmosphere, Muramasa knocked his student away. "Do you feel that, boy?" he said. "Stop and listen to the wind…..Here begins the fall of the ninja."

"You're _insane_, sensei," growled Masamune.

"Am I?" mocked Muramasa. "Why don't you follow me and see for yourself?" Saying this, he dashed into the Hyuga mansion, prompting his former student to follow.

By that time, Nezumi already had Hinata pinned to the floor, with his blade at her throat.

"Let's try again," he hissed into her ear, "_Where is Tenten_?"

"Ngh," Hinata groaned with disgust. "I...won't….tell…you," she managed.

Suddenly, Nezumi paused and sniffed the air. "Heh heh, nevermind," he chuckled. "Onigiri! Make yourself useful and hold this girl here! Maybe we can have some _fun_ with her after I take care of….business," he said, grinning as he roughly yanked on the zipper of Hinata's hoodie partway down, exposing her ample bust and prompting a strangled cry from her. "Ohh yes, lots and _lots_ of fun," whispered the rat-man into Hinata's ear, making her feel nauseous. Following his nose as he entered the room, Nezumi quickly located his target. Throwing off the blanket from the futon she was lying on, he straddled her unconscious form. "Hm," he mused, "Ohh, there are just _so_ many ways for me to _humiliate_ you right now…..I wonder which I should try _first_?" Gently stroking her face with his hand, he sighed. "Now that I think about it, it's almost a shame to waste such a pretty face." His eyes wandered to the rest of her body as he considered his options. "Oh, I know!" he finally exclaimed, "Let's start off with your _body_ first! Let's see…How to start….Maybe a good ol' fashioned _slash_…?" he mused further as he stood, raising his blade. As he brought it down to cut her torso, he was met with resistance of a form he never expected.

Her arm had transformed into solid metal and intercepted his blade.

_**CLANG!**_

Tenten's eyes snapped open, prompting Nezumi to stumble backward in shock. "Wh-what _are_ you?" he demanded. Little did he know, he was about to find out.

* * *

Make sure to tune in next time for the conclusion of this fight! Be sure to leave a review!


	18. A Reason to Fight!

Time to find out how this battle ends!

* * *

Chapter 18- A Reason to Fight!

Still lying on her futon, Tenten marveled at the new form her arm had taken on. From the forearm down, it was fully metallic, but she could still feel it connected to her body. The dragon-shaped brand that had recently burned itself into her skin had become an engraving, with an indentation where the orb was. Sensing danger, she sat bolt upright. All around her were the unconscious forms of Sakura, Ino and Hanabi….And since Hanabi was lying there as she was, Hinata probably wasn't too far away. Then she saw _him_. The _last_ person she had ever wanted to see; the rat-boy from all those years ago at the Academy. He looked much different, especially more gaunt and haggard, than she remembered…And he was also carrying a sword.

Nezumi gripped his head with one hand as he struggled to hold onto the blade with the other. He had known for a long time that his sanity was….questionable, but never in his life had he had a voice in his head….Until _now_.

"Kill her!" it commanded him. "Let me taste her blood!"

"Guh! Ngh!" Nezumi grunted, resisting. "N-No way! I wanted to make her _suffer_ first! Stop tellin' me what to do!"

Raising an eyebrow, Tenten addressed her would-be assassin, "Hey, you! Yeah, you, rat-boy."

"Ngh…Huh?" replied Nezumi hoarsely.

"I'm only gonna ask _once_- Did _you_ do all this?" she asked, gesturing around the room, which was now in a state of disarray.

"S-So what if I d-did?" retorted the human rat.

"Because, if that's the case," Tenten responded, dropping into a fighting stance, "I'm gonna make you wish you hadn't!"

"_Believe_ me," Nezumi thought as Tenten rushed at him, "I already do."

Seeing her enemy drop his guard somewhat, Tenten leapt at him. She reached for her weapons pouch, but to her great annoyance found that it was not attached to her belt as it should have been. She would have to remember to have a talk with Ino and Sakura about touching her stuff. After all, that was one of her pet peeves. Not only that, it put her at a major disadvantage. Unlike Lee or Neji, who relied on different types of direct combat, Tenten fought best with weapons. Give her something- give her almost _anything_, and she can hold her own right along with the boys. What could she do, now that she was disarmed? Then she remembered- her _arm_ was living metal now. _Her own arm_ was her weapon, as it always had been in a more basic sense. Finally reaching her target after what had seemed like hours of thought, she did the first thing that came to mind- punch him in the face.

_**CLANG!**_

Fortunately for Nezumi, he managed to block the brunt of the blow with the flat of his blade. Unfortunately, however, Tenten merely hit him with the other fist when he dropped his guard to attack. "_Damn_, she's fast," he thought, wiping some blood off of his lip. "Got me right in the mouth!" He moved to strike in retaliation just as Tenten stopped for a moment to look for her weapons pouch. Luckily, Nezumi wasn't the only one hearing voices that night.

"Hey, kid! Get outta there, _now_!"

Using a quick Shunshin, Tenten vaulted to the ceiling, out of the evil blade's reach. "T-Tetsu?" she exclaimed in shock.

"I'm a part of you, remember?" he replied. "Now, watch that blade….There's something weird about it."

"Like what?"

"Like I don't know. Just don't go getting cut by it, is all that I can say."

At the same time, the voice in Nezumi's head grew quite excited. "Well, well! Look what we have here….!"

"What?" Nezumi thought. The man-rat was still learning, but by now he knew better to answer aloud. "A _dragon_," purred the unsettling voice. "Do what you will with the rest of her, but that arm is _mine_."

"What could you possibly want with her arm….?" Nezumi asked the sword cautiously. "I feed on souls, fool," snapped the voice of the blade, "And _dragons'_ souls are particularly delectable. Now, do it! Lop off her arm!" With that, Nezumi leapt at Tenten, who dodged the strike once again.

A short distance down the hall, Hinata was trying to blink back some tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes. First her home was invaded and her family and friends threatened, and she was cut down by what should have been a relatively minor wound. Then, to add insult to injury, the two invaders who had taken her down were planning on "having fun" with her after they were done. Hinata _knew_ what that meant, and she didn't plan on letting that happen. Stealing a quick glance at her captor, she noticed that he seemed unwell. His face was contorted into an expression of pain or disgust- she couldn't tell which- and his eyes were glazed over, as if his mind were elsewhere. Despite the twinge of sympathy she felt upon seeing another human being in such pain, Hinata decided to use the situation to her advantage, using what was left of her chakra to activate her Byakugan to check the blade of the sword the man was pointing at her for any special properties. What she found shocked her: the sword had an aura all its own, which was most decidedly evil. It was a cold, hungry aura, which seemed to be slowly draining her remaining chakra due to its proximity. Sooner or later, it would drain her completely.

A sudden remark broke her out of her reverie.

"You feel it, too, don't you?"

Surprised, she deactivated her Byakugan. By now, her enemy was staring directly at her, looking all the more worse for wear. "That….aura. It ain't right. It just ain't," he muttered. "Much as I hate you Hyuga punks, this just ain't right, I should've known."

Hopeful, Hinata decided to see if he'd back down. "If that's the case….Why not put away the sword and let me stand up?"

"Feh, I'd _love_ to, believe me. Dinner's probably getting' cold at home right now. But this damn _sword_ won't let me!"

"Could the sword be controlling his actions….?" Hinata wondered.

As they approached the scene, Muramasa and Masamune continued to trade blows. Noticing that Masamune wasn't being as aggressive as he was in the courtyard, the master taunted his student. "Ha! What's the matter, boy? Afraid you'll hurt someone?" As he said this, he picked up the first body he could find on the floor- Hinata's.

"Aaaugh….!" she groaned as she was roughly yanked to her feet. Her limbs were still numb; there was no way she could extricate herself from the old man's grasp. Worse still, another swordsman, probably the enemy of the one holding her, was charging at them at full speed, his blade poised to thrust into them.

"Why won't he stop….?" the Hyuga heiress heard her new captor mutter.

As the man in crimson armor came ever closer, Hinata squeezed her eyes shut and focused. Doubtlessly the man holding her hostage was allied with her previous attackers, as his blade had the same evil aura. However, her current priority was to preserve her life, even if she had to save an evil person to do so. Redirecting the chakra that was being used to seal her wound, she formed a barrier just under the skin of her abdomen. She could handle another flesh wound, but an abdominal stab wound could potentially be fatal. She had to make sure to slow the blade's progress as much as possible.

Just as she began to form the barrier, Hinata heard a voice. It was a woman's voice, one that sounded very familiar- her mother's.

"Hinata! Trust the man with the crimson armor. He will not harm you." Just as suddenly, the image of her mother appeared to her in a flash of light.

"Mother….? But…You're…You're dead!" Hinata thought.

"Yes, child, but it's not time for you to join me yet. Now, just hold still and let the blade pass through!"

"But…." Hinata began. Finally, she decided to heed her mother's words- if only because that momentary distraction cost her the time to do anything else. Squeezing her eyes shut tighter, she willed herself to live. She thought of all she had to live for- her family, her friends, Naruto…And, most of all, herself. She still had a lot about herself she wanted to improve, and a lot that she wanted to prove to everyone. She couldn't very well do that if she was dead, now could she?

In the next instant, she felt the blade enter her body. Clenching her teeth in preparation for inevitable pain, she was surprised to feel none, though she could feel the handguard of the sword press against her navel. Suddenly, she felt weightless, as if she were floating. All around her was black, and she began to close her eyes.

"Hyuga Hinata of Konohagakure, awaken," she heard a gentle voice commanding her. This voice, too, was female, but it was not her mother's. Sitting up gingerly to avoid aggravating the wound in her side, Hinata looked around.

"It's alright, you can stand up," the voice reassured her.

"Where...Where _are_ you?" wondered Hinata.

"I'm right here," continued the voice from somewhere in front of her. Standing, Hinata took a few steps forward. In another flash of light, she saw a young woman with long ebony hair, dressed in a fine kimono and standing barefoot within a circle of snow.

Staring at her, Hinata asked, "S-snow…? Um, I don't mean to be rude, but…Aren't you—"

"Cold?" the young woman cut her off, "I'm sorry, I just get asked that a lot. And to answer your question, no, not really. I'm used to it by now." Her face was gentle and kind, though its owner had the odd habit of keeping her eyes closed seemingly at all times. "My name is Shirayuki. Enough about _me_, though. Full introductions can wait. I need you to look at something." With an upward flick of her wrist, the young woman conjured a mirror that reflected HInata's image, though it was broken and missing a piece- a piece whose part in the image was the very place where Hinata had been slashed during her battle with the intruders.

Feeling a tinge of fear, Hinata stepped back. "Wh-what _is_ that?" she demanded.

"It's a representation of your soul- your spirit."

"My…..soul?" Hinata asked, dumbfounded.

The mysterious woman merely chuckled gently. "Yes, your soul," she confirmed.

Hinata blinked. "So, then….Am I…dead?"

"Oh no, you're very much alive," Shirayuki assured the younger woman, "but looking at what we can see of your soul, I'd say there's a piece missing."

"Gee, you don't say," Hinata thought drily.

"I think I know where it went, though. It was the smaller one who slashed you, right?"

"Y-yes," Hinata replied.

"Good enough for me," replied Shirayuki. "I'm just gonna have to 'borrow' your body for a little bit, okay?"

Understandably, Hinata was confused by this request. "M-my _body_?" she asked.

"It's okay," Shirayuki reassured her. "I'm just gonna get that fragment of your soul back, and then I'll give your body right back, 'kay?" she continued, smiling. "Now," she said, touching Hinata's forehead, "Go back to sleep for a bit." As everything turned white around her, Hinata saw her apparent ally's eyes snap open. They, too, were pure white, as if she either had Byakugan or was blind.

By the time Shirayuki's consciousness took full control, Masamune was already fighting Muramasa yet again, the latter having flown into a rage upon narrowly escaping Masamune's thrust and recognizing exactly _whose_ soul was sealed within his student's blade.

"How _dare_ you use that sword? Especially when you are fighting _me_?"

"It's about time you recognized _your own daughter's_ soul, sensei," quipped Masamune. "This was the first sword I ever made myself….And it's still the strongest."

Upon seeing Hinata's body stand back up, Masamune hailed its current dominant occupant. "You ready?"

"Of course I am," she replied confidently.

"Sh-Shirayuki?" the old man asked, "Is that…Is that you in there?"

"Yes, _father_, it is," she said coldly. "I don't appreciate what you've done in my name, but we'll have to talk about that later. I have to save this girl first," she finished, running off into the room where Tenten and Nezumi were still fighting.

Muramasa simply gaped as he watched her go, his daughter, possessing another girl's body. Leveling his blade against Masamune, he growled, "What black art is this? Why is my daughter's spirit inhabiting that girl's body?"

"It's not magic at all," replied Masamune. "Don't you remember what happened?"

Muramasa thought back. Shirayuki and Masamune had grown up together. However, Shirayuki was born blind, leading both Muramasa and Masamune to be very protective of her. The two clans were very close, with Mifune's clan being the leader, and Muramasa's clan acting as second-in-command. Muramasa himself was Mifune's confidant and advisor, while Shirayuki was eventually revealed to be clairvoyant, thereby serving the village and its people as their seer. Life went by peacefully for the two families, and eventually Shirayuki and Masamune were engaged to be married. However, on the eve of their wedding, ninja forces under the orders of one Shimura Danzo delved deep into samurai territory. Their mission was to capture the seer- Shirayuki. Danzo had heard of her ability to see into the future, and decided that it would be useful to him, especially given the….rather unpleasant nature of what he did for a living. The mission went better than expected- in fact, their "target" met them at the village entrance.

"I know why you're here," she told them. "I'll let you take me….Because it's for the best."

"It's gotta be a trap!" one of the ninja said, "We gotta make sure it's not some kinda gen—"

"One has to wonder how you even made it into this unit," quipped a deep voice from behind him. "These people are _samurai_. Do you really think they have access to such jutsu? And even if they had, why would I have led us right into it?"

"I-Itachi-taicho! I meant no disrespect…"

"Enough. She simply knows that this is the way that leads to the least bloodshed, isn't that right, Shirayuki-sama?"

As all this was happening, two men from Shirayuki's village saw and heard everything- Shirayuki's father, Muramasa and his student, Masamune. Right at that moment, against his better judgment, the vengeful father drew his blade and charged at the men trying to take his daughter away, with Masamune right behind him.

"Get away from her, you bastards!" he bellowed as he leapt at them and readied his blade to strike.

To prepare to defend himself, Itachi drew a single kunai. "Our deal was that we would not kill anyone," he stated grimly, "If we weren't attacked first!"

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his wrist.

_**SHNK!**_

Immediately the two warriors froze. In a moment of seeming desperation, Shirayuki had impaled herself on the enemy's blade.

"Sorry...everyone," she gasped, "I've seen so many different paths the future can take from here….This…Is the only way….For those I love to be safe….!"

Itachi frowned. "It looks like this mission was a failure after all," he muttered calmly, as if he knew this was going to happen.

As Masamune laid Shirayuki on the ground gently, Muramasa surveyed the enemy force. With a quick utterance of "Kai," Itachi dispelled the genjutsu that hid twenty more troops. The man himself was a one-man army, and he had brought a platoon. Though their swordsmanship was nearly unrivalled in their village, not even he nor his student could hope to face such large odds alone and win. Pausing for Shirayuki to whisper something into Masamune's ear, the two men carried her back into the village as the ninja left. Upon Masamune's insistence, they took her to his house, the home they would have shared together had it not been for her fatal injury. Barely able to look at his dying daughter without tearing up, Muramasa stood at the doorway once they had laid her down in her futon, staring out at the falling snow.

"Take…Take care of her," he told Masamune, "I…Have somewhere I need to be." This was true. He did need to be somewhere- _Anywhere_ but there. The first place he went to was his workshop. Driven into a blind rage by his grief, he immediately tore the place apart. However, when he finally broke down, he found one book from amongst his collection- one that would almost guarantee he could save his daughter.

While her father was reminiscing, Shirayuki stole into the guest room, which had become little more than an indoor war zone by then. Claw marks and sword slashes were gouged into various surfaces, and several pieces of furniture were demolished. As far as Shirayuki could tell, nothing much had happened to the room's other occupants, but she took the time to get them as far out of harm's way as she could.

"There, that should do it," she said as she laid Hanabi down between Sakura and Ino.

Turning to locate Nezumi and his blade, she was astounded by what she saw: Tenten's arm had continued to change, taking on the literal appearance of a metal dragon's arm, complete with jagged, plated scales and razor-sharp claws. She mostly attacked with punches and claw slashes, but from time to time she would break off a scale or two and hurl them at her enemy as if they were shuriken. The arm kept regenerating the scales, so she had a near-limitless supply. Unfortunately, she was making little headway, as she and Nezumi were both blocking and dodging each other's blows. Suddenly, her foe stopped moving and collapsed to the floor. Cautiously, Tenten primed her new scales and claws to attack- only to see a familiar face.

"Wow, Hinata, am I glad to see you!" she said, but Shirayuki ignored her. She was much too busy trying to pry the evil sword from Nezumi's grip. "No, Hinata! That sword- there's something weird about it….!"

"Hinata" looked back at Tenten and nodded. "I know. And I'm _not_ Hinata, despite occupying this body. You'll soon see what I mean." Eventually, she managed to pry the sword from Nezumi's vice-like grip, prompting some of the color to return to his face.

"Whoa, I wasn't expecting that," quipped Tenten. "I just assumed he _always_ looked that bad!" she finished, grinning. However, her friend, or at least whoever was possessing her, wasn't interested in humor, as she so clearly indicated by leaving the room without so much as smiling at the joke. "But _I _thought it was funny…!" Tenten whined to herself, following her possessed friend.

What she saw when she exited the room shocked her. There was an old man in black armor, unmistakably one of the samurai who had arrived with Neji just the other day….And he was confronting his comrade, a younger man in crimson. Even more surprisingly, it seemed like Hinata was standing directly behind the latter!

"But wait….._I_ invented the Soul Binding Technique! How is it possible that _you_ sealed Shirayuki in your blade when _I_ could not?"

"Simple," Masamune replied, "You failed _because_ I did it- I managed to do it _first_."

Muramasa chuckled drily. "I would expect no less from a man who calls himself _my_ student. But now a question for you, Shirayuki- What is it that you told this boy with your dying breaths?"

"That's simple," she replied, "All I told him was, 'You know what to do.'" As she recited the line, she handed the evil blade she had retrieved to Masamune, who quickly touched both it and the blade that shared her name to Hinata's body, chanting something that sounded very much like a sutra. Tenten moved to defend him from the older man, but the latter simply waved her aside, sheathing his own blade.

"Stand down, child," he said, "I merely desire to watch."

Once Masamune had finished chanting, there was another flash of light. Hinata's unconscious body crumpled to the floor as the unearthly glow returned to the snow-white blade.

"I see," the old man said, a tear running down his cheek, "_This_ is how you 'took care of her.'"

Nodding, Masamune sheathed Shirayuki. However, expecting a peaceful end to the conflict, he was not prepared for his sensei to rush forward, swat Tenten away when she tried to intercept him, and snatch the blade he created from his student's hands, collecting the one Onigiri was carrying soon after.

"I know you wish for me to stay, but I simply cannot," he said, gravely. "Even knowing that my daughter's spirit sleeps in your blade, I simply cannot forgive what these ninja have done! They're all monstrosities, just like these two here!" he snarled, gesturing roughly at Hinata and Tenten, "All these….These _things_ they can do….No mortal should _ever_ be able to do such things!"

"Just like no 'mortal' should be able to see the future?" asked Masamune coldly.

"I do not seek the approval of a boy," Muramasa shot back. "The battle line has once again been drawn, my student, only _this_ time….._This_ time we find ourselves on opposite sides. You know how I am, Masamune- Either you kill me or I _will_ kill you, and reclaim that blade!" he roared, pointing at Shirayuki. With that, he reached into his pocket with his free hand and withdrew a smoke bomb.

_**FWSSSSH!**_

Once the smoke cleared, he was gone, and the residents of the house began to stir.

"Ngh," groaned Sakura. "Why do I feel like I just got slugged by Tsunade-sama….?"

"Believe me," Masamune replied, "That's not even close to the gravity of this situation."

Deep in the forest, the old man stopped at the point his client asked him to wait at. He had no time to catch his breath, however, because the next thing he knew, a man in an unsettling white mask had placed his hand on the old swordsmith's sholder.

"So…What are your results, Muramasa?" asked Madara.

"A nearly-complete success," replied Muramasa, "The only problem is that those _fools_ I hired failed to kill _anyone_, meaning I have no way to show you my blades' ability to capture souls, Madara-dono."

"Not to worry," the ancient Uchiha replied nonchalantly, "That can always be…arranged." Walking deeper into the forest, Madara turned to him again. "I do have _one_ question, though. You make no secret of how much you _despise_ all ninja. What, then, inspired you to join me?"

Muramasa's eyes darkened. "We both specifically want to crush Konoha, nothing more than that,"

"Well said," noted Madara.

With that, the two sinister figures disappeared into the night.

* * *

Dang, Madara has _another_ new ally? Ah well. At least it looks like Tenten's getting used to the new abilities quickly. Speaking of her abilities, just where'd her family go, anyway? Come back next chapter to find out!


	19. Separation!

Wondering about Tenten's family? Well, here they are...!

* * *

Chapter 19- Seperation!

While the chaos subsided at the Hyuga estate, the situation was tense within the halls of a similar dwelling floating in the clouds- one that bore many similarities to the mythical Jade Emperor's palace where the Taoist gods lived, only in miniature, though the place was still almost large enough to rival that of the Hyugas. Though there had been no sound in the whole estate save the howling of the winds, one of its residents was awakened by the frightened scream of his younger sister. With nothing to accompany him aside from his trusty broadsword and the chill of the night, the youth dashed down the hall and burst in to his sister's room. Drawing his blade, he approached her bed to see if she was alright, only to find she was tangled in her blanket on the floor. She must've had another nightmare about falling. She'd been having them a lot lately. After helping to extricate her from her blanket and sheathing his sword, the young warrior attempted to reassure his sister as she climbed back into bed, sure to reawaken him later that night, as she had several times already.

"_Another_ bad dream, Tenshi?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.

"Y-yeah," she muttered.

"You _do_ know that we're probably not gonna fall, right? I mean, if the Dragon's Eye can keep us aloft for twelve, almost _thirteen_ whole years, one more night shouldn't be such a big deal."

"I-I _know_ that, Tenchi….It's just that…..I keep getting this bad feeling. And another thing, having several nightmares that all somehow involve falling from the sky _has_ to mean _something_, right?"

"Well, let's see," Tenchi replied as he sat at the foot of her bed. "The first one ended with you falling off of Kaze-ryu and, uh…."

"Smashing into a mountain," Tenshi finished for him.

"Ah, right, that. Now, we both know that there are no mountains whose peaks rise _this_ high," he told her nonchalantly. "See? When you counter them with facts, these dreams turn out to be just that- silly dreams that can't hurt you, me, our parents, or anyone else."

"….What about our sister, Tenten?" asked Tenshi incredulously, "Can they hurt _her_?"

"We agreed as a family not to talk about that for the time being," he chided her exasperatedly, rising to leave, "And even if they could, how would you know? Realistically speaking….We don't even know if she's _alive_."

"_I_ know she is," muttered Tenshi under her breath.

"What was that?" asked her brother, turning to face her again.

"Uh, nothing," she said, then hastily changed the subject, "Hey, didn't you say you'd tell me what the Dragon's Eye _is_? I've always been told by you and Father never to touch it nor go near it, but _why_? Especially since I've been hearing voices from it lately."

Tenchi immediately took his sister by the shoulders and looked her square in the eye. "_What_ voices?" he asked with a slight sense of urgency in his voice.

"I dunno," came the reply, "one of them was really scary-sounding, possibly a man's voice….But the other one was soft and gentle…And female. Does the second one belong to someone I, er, _we_ know? It sounds familiar."

"Jeez, for every question I ask, you ask three, huh kiddo?"

"Just answer the questions, will ya?"

"I can't, at least not right now. All you need to know for now is, stop listening to the voices," he said, raising his hand in front of him when she began to protest that she felt it was somehow important, "However, if you _still_ end up listening to them, make sure to follow your instincts-_never_ do what the scary voice says."

"Yeah yeah, got it," Tenshi replied cheekily, tucking a few strands of her long, wavy brown hair behind her right ear absentmindedly. "Y'know, I'm kinda disappointed, Tenchi. I almost expected some big, 'That's where Mom went and that's why you're hearing a familiar-sounding female voice'- type revelation."

"If only you _knew_," he thought as he rolled his eyes away from her sight. "Why so chatty tonight?" he asked, feigning mere annoyance. "Just go back to sleep. You want me to make you some hot chocolate? That always helped you sleep as a kid."

"I'm _not_ a kid!" she replied indignantly. "….All the same, hot chocolate _would_ be nice."

"Comin' right up," the youth replied as he left her room to head for the kitchen.

"Daaaaaamn, what a racket," complained a deep, rumbling voice.

"Sorry about that, Ho-ryu. You know how she gets sometimes."

"Yeah, but does she _have_ to be so damn persistent?"

"Haha, I guess she takes after me and Dad, huh?" Tenchi joked. "Now, help me heat this up," he commanded, having poured the water and powder into a mug and mixing the contents, "We're not supposed to use electricity at this hour if we can help it."

"Ugh, why couldn't we have had an _electric_ dragon?" whined Ho-ryu.

"C'mon, buddy, we both know it's bad to keep a lady waiting….Especially _this_ lady."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered the dragon as he concentrated heat energy through his partner's arm to the base of the mug.

On his way back to his sister's room, Tenchi poured all his concentration into making sure not to spill any hot chocolate. Actually, that was the _only_ thing he _wanted_ to concentrate on. He was old enough to have been present when his mother had sacrificed herself to seal away the mortal enemy of their clan, the evil dragon known as Aku-ryu in the native tongue of the land they had settled in. They had left their home country to escape its wrath, but the apparition simply followed them once they had settled into the village of Konoha. With most of the clan massacred by the demon, Tenchi's mother had erected a barrier to imprison the malevolent spirit- but that feat had come at a great price: she had to seal herself with the beast. He was just a child then, but Tenchi remembered the event vividly: she had formed several hand seals, then there was a blinding light. The next thing he knew, nothing was left but the stone his family would come to refer to as the Dragon's Eye, a large crimson jewel with a vertical black stripe, shaped as if it were the pupil in an actual dragon's eye. Just as he approached it, however, twin jets of dark energy had burst from the "pupil," not unlike smaller versions of the demon itself. Before anyone could even figure out how to stop them, they had reached Tenchi's younger sisters, who were toddlers at the time. As the younger children writhed in pain and lost consciousness, a horrible, half-roaring laugh rang out in the courtyard.

"Bwahahaha! You think you've won, puny humans? Don't make me laugh! Let's see how you manage with so few of you left, _and_ with the curse I just laid on your children!"

As the voice faded, a scroll materialized on the ground next to the jewel. As his father was preoccupied tending to the girls, Tenchi had decided he should be the one to find out what the scroll said. What he found, however, only baffled him further. The only thing printed on the parchment was this cryptic message: "When the sun and moon meet at long last, the Dragon's Eye will open."

"Tenchi!"

Hearing his name being called brought the warrior back to his senses. He had done the exact thing he'd been trying to avoid by reminiscing about the past.

"You alright?" Tenshi asked him warily.

"Y-yeah," Tenchi reassured her, though he wasn't so sure himself. Gazing at his sister, he remembered what had happened next that day. After hiding the twin girls in the clan's weapons storage shed, which was easily the size of a house on its own and sturdily built, Tenchi's father began to inspect the gem. However, the unthinkable happened- the main part of the estate began to pull away from the ground. Awakened by the rumbling, the twin girls managed to open the door of the shed. Tenshi had managed to stumble her way out of the shed back onto the stone pavement, but before Tenten could join her, the ground began to lift. Having had one foot squarely on the pavement but frozen in fear, Tenten couldn't help but be bowled over when the ground rose higher than her still-developing sense of balance could accommodate. Tumbling back into the shed, the unfortunate child smacked her head on the far wall, causing it to crack and giving her a concussion, causing her to forget even her own name. Little did he know that, just over a year later, she would meet her best friend and oftentimes protector.

"Tenchi, quit spacing out," Tenshi said as she tugged the mug from her brother's hands.

"Uh, sorry," he replied.

"Maybe you should go back to bed. I'll try not to wake you up again, okay?"

"Haha, see that you do," he replied blithely. "G'night, kid."

"I'm _not_ a kid!" Tenshi whined.

"Achoo!" Tenten sneezed.

"Jeez, you alright?" asked Sakura. "That's gotta be _at least_ the third time already!"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," replied the older kunoichi between sniffles.

"What happened?" demanded Neji, having been awakened by then from the trance that had ensnared the entire building.

"I…I'll explain later," Tenten muttered.

Just then, a few of Naruto's Kage Bunshin had appeared in a puff of smoke. "Sorry, comin' through!" one of them said in Naruto's usual gung-ho manner as the lot of them carried various pieces of rubble and other miscellaneous clutter around. Once she had been awakened, Sakura had gone to get Naruto at his house, and ever since then he had formed the backbone of the clean-up effort as everyone else recovered from their collective trance. The real Naruto, however, was by Hinata's bedside with Masamune.

"She's….She's so _cold_," Naruto lamented.

"Do not worry," the crimson-armored samurai reassured him, "This condition is only temporary. She should awaken in the morning."

"Tell me again what happened to her!" Naruto demanded. Once the older man had finished explaining, Naruto sank into deep thought. "So there are weapons that will drain the chakra- and possibly even soul- right out of you…._And_ she got hit by one?"

"Yes, that's right," replied Masamune, "But my friend and I managed to heal her. It's just going to take time for her to recover."

"And who's this 'friend'?" asked Naruto.

Masamune patted Shirayuki's hilt fondly in response. "Shirayuki here, or course. She did most of the work, to be honest."

"Well, uh, thanks. And tell the sword that, too." Naruto said awkwardly.

Oblivious to the turmoil at the Hyuga estate, Team Asuma met at Shikamaru and Choji's cloud-gazing spot near the center of the village.

"Alright, is everyone here?" asked Shikamaru gruffly. Everyone present nodded.

"What's this about, Shikamaru?" asked Choji between potato chip mouthfuls.

"It's really sad, but we all know Asuma-sensei is….Well he's no longer around. As the substitute leader of this team, I've been given the option of either recruiting one more member so that we can be a 4-man cell again, or disbanding the squad permanently."

Ino gasped. "Why would they disband us?" she demanded.

"I've been told it's nothing personal," said Shikamaru, "It's just that we're short a member, and the higher-ups would rather have to split the three of us up and add us to other teams individually than let us operate as normal when we're short.

"Well, if that's the case," Ino began, "I have the _perfect_ idea for a new recruit!"

"Taking to this a little quickly, aren't we?" thought Shikamaru drily. "Actually, Ino, I hate to break it to you, but _Sai_ isn't one of the potential recruits I had in mind."

"What?" she replied indignantly. "Why not?"

"First, because his style doesn't exactly mesh well with ours. He may have been on the Ambush Squad in the war, but our specialty is delaying tactics. He's more like Team 7- a ninjutsu specialist. Second, he's a reservist attached to Team 7, meaning he's not a free-"

"B-But!" Ino spluttered, "Then _who_ did you have in mind?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Well, she's sittin' right there," he said, jabbing a thumb at Momo, who was busy enjoying another peach.

"Me?" she asked around a mouthful of fruit. Swallowing, she continued, "How would you know if I'm even a ninja?"

"Well, that's simple," Shikamaru replied.

_**WHACK!**_

"Yikes!" Momo yelped as she blocked a swift downward strike from Shikamaru.

"At least the taijutsu seems to be there," he said. "Nice reflexes."

Turning to Choji, Momo asked nervously, "Is he _always_ this random?"

"N-no," Choji replied, just as stunned as she was. "Shikamaru, don'tcha think that was a bit much?"

"We have no other way of finding out what she can and can't do, Choji," Shikamaru replied, "After all, according to the both of you, it's not like she has any memories to go by."

"That seems to be a bit of a theme with new recruits," noted Ino, "I mean, Sasuke apparently has an amnesiac twin sister now, and it's looking like they're letting her be a reservist like Sai."

"_Two_ cases isn't enough for a 'theme', but yeah, there are similarities," quipped Shikamaru, "But at least we can blame Kagami's lack of memory on Orochimaru and Kabuto. Literally the only things we know about Momo here are that she used to live in the rough side of town and she likes to eat peaches."

"So, what, you're gonna test me to see what I can do until dawn or something?" asked Momo indignantly.

"Actually, yeah, that was the plan," replied Shikamaru.

"You may be Choji's best friend, but I don't think I like you very much," the peach-eating girl thought as she glared back at the apparent team leader.

First, she was tested further in taijutsu. Surprisingly, during a series of one-on-one sparring matches, she managed to actually defeat Shikamaru and Ino, while fighting Choji to a stalemate.

"Ugh," Ino groaned, picking herself up from the ground, "I know I'm more experienced, but you didn't have to take me down quite _that_ hard."

"Looks like you're really good at taijutsu when you need to be," noted Shikamaru as he wiped some blood from his lip. "And those studs on your gloves help."

Next, after Ino healed herself and Shikamaru, came ninjutsu. Given that Momo didn't know any, they simply tested whether she could perform it or not. To accomplish this, Ino taught her the Clone Jutsu.

"Here, you just use the Ram, Snake, and Tiger hand seals, like this," she said, forming the seals and creating two dopplegangers of herself. "Now you try!"

After much effort, Momo managed one clone, before throwing up her hands in frustration, saying, "Aw c'mon! What am I doing wrong?"

"Calm down," replied Shikamaru, "You're doing really well for a beginner. The rest is all about chakra manipulation, and you can _learn_ that anytime. We're just trying to see whether you can do ninjutsu at all."

"Well, okay," the frustrated girl sighed.

"Why don't we go ahead and do genjutsu next?" asked Ino to no one in particular. "I'm in full teacher-mode right now!" she said, grinning, prompting a few chuckles from all present.

Unfortunately, even the most basic of genjutsu techniques was extremely difficult for Momo to perform.

"I guess it's just that you have problems with chakra control, like Naruto does," mused Ino.

"Is that all?" asked Momo, eager for the testing to end.

"Yeah, I guess," replied Shikamaru. "Looks like we can call it a n—Are you eating _again_?" he asked Momo, seeing her produce another peach.

"Uh, yeah, I'm hungry," she replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"The only person I've ever seen eat like that," Ino whispered in Shikamaru's ear, "Is _Choji_. And she's _way_ too skinny to have his metabolism….!"

"What're you two talking about?" Choji whispered rather loudly at them, with an eyebrow raised.

Between chuckles, Shikamaru simply said, "Nothing, nothing. Okay guys, let's call it a night. I have to fill out some papers to submit to the Hokage first thing in the morning…..Not exactly something I look forward to, but it's gotta get done."

At the same time, in Konoha's red-light district, Yama was getting anxious over the fate of his son. "Dammit, what's taking the lazy oaf so long?" he demanded of the wind. Suddenly, he heard something like footsteps in the shadows. Bringing out a kanabo, or a large club, he brandished the weapon in the direction of the steps. "Wh-Who's there?" he shouted. "I know yer there! Come out with yer hands up, and I _might_ be lenient on you!" In the next instant, he felt a hand on his face and heard a female voice whisper in his ear.

"Hush now, go to sleep," murmured the voice.

Yama had no choice but to comply, as whoever owned that voice seemed to have sucked the vitality right out of him. Crumpling to the floor, the last thing the fat man saw was a female figure, clad all in black, drop down from the ceiling into the light. Just before he closed his eyes, she bent down to check whether he was awake, and he saw a sight that, had he had the energy, would've made him jump: her eyes were near-demonic, with black sclera and crimson red irises.

The next morning, as Shikamaru arrived at the Hokage's office to deliver his paperwork, he overheard a meeting between the Hokage and Team Gai.

"D-Disbanding the team?" he heard Tenten exclaim, clearly shocked, "But Lady Hokage—"

"No buts," Tsunade cut her off, "And this order is only temporary, just until you figure out what on earth these new abilities of yours are, and why they manifested last night. Another thing, it's not like Neji can train properly with his arm the way it is—"

"I'm _fine_," Neji insisted, "All this injury means is I have to rely on the other arm until it's fully healed."

"No it does _not_ mean that, and don't interrupt me," replied Tsunade flatly. "If you're not careful, it won't set right, and you may never be able to use that arm to fight again. You _need_ to take the month off. Meditation training is allowed if you _must_ do something, but I'd really rather you'd just take it easy for the next month or so."

"But then, Lady Hokage," Gai replied, nearly panicked, "Does that mean we _all_ have to stop training?"

"Of _course_ not, Gai. I really wish you would stop making me repeat myself. It's just _Neji_ who needs to rest for the month. You, Lee and Tenten are still expected to train, Tenten especially. I'm just disbanding the squad temporarily to ensure you don't drag these two," she said, gesturing at Neji and Tenten, "Off on a mission during the time I gave them to heal and figure out new abilities, respectively."

"Alright!" Lee cheered, inadvertently drawing the ire of the rest of his team except for Gai.

"However, Gai, I'd like to speak with you privately after this- I have a couple missions that might be perfect to keep you occupied in the meantime."

Hastily, Shikamaru gave his papers to Shizune at her desk when she appeared. Walking quickly out of the building, he thought to himself, "Wow, things are changing a lot around here. I think I'm starting to learn a bit of what Temari used to go through back when her village wasn't very stable…..What a drag...Wait, what's that?" he thought, staring up at the clouds as usual. The clouds were particularly nice that day, but he couldn't help but notice what seemed to be a speck in one of them. Knowing that such a thing would be impossible, the shadow-manipulating ninja headed over to Naruto's house, hoping to borrow the telescope Jiraiya had left his vulpine friend. Something was definitely strange, no doubt about it.

Meanwhile, in Konoha's jailhouse, where Onigiri and Nezumi were being held, the duo were awakened by the twofold sound of bodies slumping to the ground. Noticing a scent wafting into the room, Onigiri went to see what it was, but Nezumi stopped him.

"Don't get too close to the door, idiot," he said coarsely, "That's some kind of knock-out gas. Looks like we're on our way out!"

"Think _again_," hissed a female voice from the ceiling.

Looking up, the two thugs were horrified to notice what seemed to be a person melting out of the shadows. From what they could tell, she was a young woman in her twenties, with black hair, a slender build and pale skin. Speaking through a gas mask, she demanded, "Which one of you _idiots_ struck down Hyuga Hinata last night?" Sensing the twinge of apprehension Nezumi felt, she immediately leapt onto him, growling, "I'm rather fond of that girl. She's one of the few wholly decent souls left in this godforsaken village. You _hurt_ her, you bastard…..Die." There was a horrible noise, like the echo of a stormy wind, then….Nothing. All that was left of the rat-man was a twitching husk. Turning to Onigiri, who was now cowering before her, the mysterious woman assured him, "Shh, don't worry, I'm not here to kill _you_." Placing a hand on his face, she murmured, "Sleep now." As if on command, the hulking convict fell backwards into his bunk.

Escaping from the facility before she was detected, the vengeful woman put her gloves back on. "Ugh," she groaned quietly, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, "That chakra tasted _nasty_." Disposing of her gas mask, she donned a pair of sunglasses and made her way to the red-light district's edge, where she lived….Pausing to smile at a group of panicked paramedics and detectives attempting to discern who could've possibly left Yama-san in a catatonic state and emptied his safe. Walking the rest of the way home, she fondly patted her own wallet while whistling a happy tune.

* * *

Yikes, that was pretty intense, huh? Who _is_ this girl, anyway? Read on to find out!


	20. The Investigation Begins!

Chapter 20- The Investigation Begins!

"Hey, Naruto! Are you there?" Shikamaru called. He had been knocking on Naruto's door for ten minutes. Either the fox-boy wasn't home or he was more of a deep sleeper than Shikamaru himself was, and that was _deep_.

"Uh, Shikamaru?" asked a voice from behind him.

"Eh? Oh, it's you, Sakura."

"Uh, yeah," the rose-haired kunoichi replied. "Y'know, Naruto isn't home. He spent the night at the Hyuga Estate."

Shikamaru gave her a quizzical look. "And why the hell would he—"

"Something happened there…..Something really bad. Even I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. Apparently, two or three assailants attacked, and with the rest of us incapacitated, Hinata and Tenten were the only ones able to try to stop them. The thing is, Hinata's been struck down. One of the samurai, who came during the battle to help, said she'll wake up this morning….But just in case anything happens, Naruto's been by her side all night."

Sighing, Shikamaru muttered, "Great, how romantic."

"I know, right?" sighed Sakura, apparently oblivious to Shikamaru's annoyed tone. "I feel really bad, though, that I was one of the ones incapacitated. I feel like I could've helped them."

"I'm sure you could've," said Shikamaru reassuringly, "But the fact is, you didn't get the chance. No use dwelling on the past, if you ask me."

"I guess you're right," replied Sakura, smiling. "Now, did you need Naruto for something?"

"Nah, just his telescope. There's something I need to check, and I know that Naruto's telescope is reliable enough to trust."

"Yeah, I wouldn't ask him until Hinata wakes up," Sakura warned. Then, bending down, she lifted the corner of Naruto's welcome mat. "Then again, having been one of his squad mates for as long as I have, I've picked up on a couple things….Like the fact that he keeps a spare house key under his mat," she said, producing the key.

"What an idiot," Shikamaru muttered.

"'Scuse me?" Sakura asked indignantly.

"Not you, I meant _Naruto_," replied Shikamaru.

"Oh, well, yeah I guess, "replied Sakura. "Anyway, I have to go….Make sure you lock up and put that key back where it was!"

"Yeah, got it," he replied gruffly.

As the young Jonin entered Naruto's apartment, Gai re-entered the Hokage's office. "Alright, Lady Hokage! What can I do for you today?" he said in his usual gung-ho, overzealous style.

"First, you can calm down. Second, I'd like you to take a look at these missions," she said, gesturing to a pair of scrolls on her desk, both stamped with the mark that denoted them as A-Rank missions.

Opening the first scroll hastily, Gai found it to be a simple teaching job- tutor a rookie Genin who was deficient in taijutsu so that she could be placed on a proper team. The next mission looked much more challenging: bring in an entire gang of bandits near the Land of Waves with the help of only one other ninja.

"Hm," Gai said as he took a thoughtful pose. "Lady Hokage," he finally said, holding up the first scroll for her to see, "Would you mind terribly if I had my darling student, Lee, take up this one?"

"Wh-What on Earth are you talking about? Lee's just a—"

"He's a Chunin, and a competent one at that. I promise, it'll be just as if I'd been teaching her myself. I'll take full responsibility for whatever happens!"

"Fine," sighed Tsunade, "But only because you seem to trust Lee with your life. Her grandfather was an old friend, and his last wish to me was to get her started as a ninja."

"Why?" Gai asked, mildly surprised, "Is there something wrong with her?"

"No, it's just….She'd taken Kakashi's test before….And her team failed. Instead of being sent back to the Academy _or_ dropped from the program entirely, they were placed on standby until a teacher could be selected for them to take a re-test. However, her would-be squad mates opted out before that decision could be made, and she's out of practice herself."

"Oh, is that all?" Gai asked, beaming, "Well then, don't worry 'bout a thing! Lee's got this one in the bag!"

"Glad to see one of us is so enthusiastic about that set-up," Tsunade muttered. "So, I suspect you'll be taking on the second one yourself?"

"That's right! Once I instruct Lee on what the teaching mission entails, I'll be off for the Land of Waves to rendezvous with my partner!"

Elsewhere in Konoha, the woman in black entered her home. "I'm back," she called out, prompting an old man's voice to greet her in reply.

"Kuro-chan! You're quite late in coming back this morning, aren't you?"

She grinned slightly as the owner of the voice, a wizened, elderly man whom she regarded as her grandfather, hobbled into the foyer. "Yes, grandpa, sorry about that," she said. "I had a few extra 'errands' to run."

"I see," he said. "Well, don't worry about me. Are you hungry?"

"No, I'm fine. In fact, please don't mention food around me for the moment…I, uh, ate while I was out, and let's just say it's not sitting well in there."

"I see, I see. Then perhaps you'd like to sleep it off?"

"That'd be great, yeah."

"Well, good morning, then."

As she strolled up the stairs to her room, the woman chuckled to herself about the unusual talks she always had with her grandfather, Kentaro. They always spoke of her various errands, but of course they were really talking about her escapades as she stalked around at night, hunting down and stealing from criminals. As for "eating out", that always meant her modus operendi, draining the chakra and, in some extreme cases, the very life from her targets via touch. For some bizarre reason or other, depending on what kind of person her targets were – and they were invariably villains- her taste buds would activate and let her "taste" the chakra, though logically it should have no taste at all. She had always written it off as a sort of sixth sense, the ability to discern between types of chakra, good or evil, as she drained it.

Walking into her room, she was temporarily blinded by the sunlight as it poured in through the window."Ugh, typical," she groaned. "Kuroko, if you're gonna stare at the moon at night, close the blinds before you go out." After some fumbling with the cords to get the blinds shut, she kicked off her sandals, yanked off her gloves and headband, and stripped down to her underwear. Regarding herself in the mirror, she noticed that it seemed like her bust had grown a few centimeters since the last time she checked it. She'd probably need a new bra soon. Sighing and muttering something about money, she dove under the covers. Almost immediately, she floated off to the blissful oblivion of sleep; a brief respite until that night, when she would again hunt those who, while living in the village, oppressed and hurt others. It was almost as if someone wanted to reward her, for almost immediately she was treated to visions of the girl she had avenged- one of the few people to ever show her genuine kindness.

It had been a rainy night, several years ago. Kuroko had just started out as a vigilante, and she was nowhere near as skilled as she was at present. As it was the time of yet another Chunin Exam, she knew that shady people from all over the Ninja World would be present in the village, though not always in plain sight. "That's where I come in," she had repeatedly told herself, "My job is to root out the scum on all sides, whether the authorities do or not!" However, one raid had gone particularly sour. During the month's time between the two stages of the Third Exam, she had attempted to raid the warehouse of one of Konoha's more prolific drug-dealing rings. In doing so, however, she had sustained significant injuries and only barely managed to leave before the police arrived to finish what she had started. Collapsing from her injuries soon after, she was shocked to awaken in a clean room, with the scent of herbal medicine filling the air. Faintly, their voices muffled by the walls, she could hear the sound of two people, both female, discussing something.

"Alright, but this girl is _your_ responsibility, understood?" she'd heard the older-sounding voice say.

"O-Okay, Kurenai-sensei," replied the younger one.

Soon after, a girl of about twelve or thirteen years of age had entered the room. "Oh, y-you're awake," she managed.

"Who…Who the hell are you?" Kuroko asked gruffly.

"M-My name is Hyuga Hinata," replied the girl, "P-Please d-don't move….You'll re-open your wounds."

"Why are you….Why did you help me?" Kuroko demanded, "You don't even know me!"

"No, but I knew you needed help," came the quiet reply. Stunned, Kuroko did not say anything after that.

Over the course of a few days, her body had healed significantly with the aid of Hinata's medicine. Taking her leave of the house, she had begun to silently watch over the girl whenever she could. Soon, she had learned of Hinata's love for Naruto. At one point, she had even watched as Hinata gave Naruto the encouragement he needed to go on to defeat Neji and the latter's arrogance. As she floated through her memories of the girl, Kuroko was constantly reminded of why she liked Hinata so much: she was so innocent, so pure- so much unlike the corrupt politicians and criminal scum that were so pervasive in the village. It was as if her presence was a safe haven from the evil she battled on a nightly basis. No matter what she did, whether she succeeded or not, Hinata's motives were always pure, and she always did her best without complaint. Unwittingly, she had become quite protective of the girl, to the point of incapacitating or even murdering those who would harm her, as she had done in the jailhouse. If they were going to try and take away one of the last rays of light left in her shadowed world, they didn't deserve to live anymore. Such logic, while not entirely sound, always seemed to be acceptable to her.

As the rays of the sun began to pour into Hinata's room, Naruto's eyes snapped open. Had he fallen asleep again? Startled by this revelation, he scrambled back to a seated position and checked Hinata's pulse as Sakura had shown him. "She's okay, y'know," a bemused voice told him. "Wh-Wha?" asked Naruto, still half-asleep. Looking up from Hinata's still-sleeping body, Naruto was both surprised and relieved to find Hinata's sister, Hanabi, sitting at Hinata's opposite side. Yawning, the young girl noted, "I watched over her while you slept." Grinning wryly, she added, "Did you know that it's really hard to wrestle you into a futon once you pass out?" Grinning sheepishly, Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry 'bout that," he muttered. "Hey, look, she's coming to!" As she opened her eyes, Hinata was shocked to see Naruto's face hovering inches from her own, mouth stretched into his signature goofy grin. "Hey, Hinata! You alright?" "I….Um….N-N-Naruto….?" She managed. "Get out of her face, dummy!" grunted Hanabi as she pushed Naruto back. For a few minutes, Hinata just sat there, staring at Naruto. Once her heart stopped pounding quite as hard, she got up with Naruto and Hanabi's help. "Why is she so wobbly all of a sudden…?" Hanabi wondered under her breath, just loud enough for them to hear. Though they could guess why, they remained silent. The child had been under enough stress as it was, without learning that her sister had very nearly had her soul literally shattered into pieces.

After what felt like an hour of helping Hinata around, Naruto left to let her rest and recover. After all, he had other matters to attend to. First, he wanted to talk to the samurai from last night; the one wearing crimson. He mostly wanted to know about the other samurai who was supposedly there that night, the one in black. It was obvious that he was behind the attack, but why? Was it connected to _him_?...But what _would_ Madara need a samurai for, anyway, besides the fact that this one can manufacture such evil-sounding weapons. Focusing on these questions, Naruto failed to notice Yamashiro Aoba, one the village's tokubetsu jonin, standing in front of him as he talked to someone. Crashing directly into the older man, Naruto fell to the ground opposite him.

"Hey, watch where you're goin'!" Naruto shouted, oblivious to the fact that it was he who should be more careful.

"Grr, _you_ watch it, Naruto!" replied Aoba. "Just great," he continued, muttering, "First a break-in _and_ murder at the jail, and now I get knocked over by a kid."

"M-murder?" exclaimed Naruto.

"Yeah," Aoba said without thinking, "One of the thugs from the Hyuga incident last night was killed, with his cellmate being knocked out cold. It was really creepy; the dead one was left a withered husk."

"Aoba, you freaking _idiot_!" roared his companion, revealed to be Namiashi Raido. "You loudmouth! We're not supposed to talk about that to people who aren't involved, remember?"

"I..Uh….Oh," Aoba muttered as he realized Naruto had heard every word of what he said. Leaving the bespectacled man to be further lambasted by his friend, Naruto sprinted off to the jail.

Upon arrival, he was annoyed to see several high ranking members of the police force standing around as their investigators checked the interior of the cell.

"Gah! There's no _way_ I can get in there without being noticed…!" Naruto thought. Trying instead for a more direct approach, Naruto walked straight up to one of the guards."Um, 'scuse me, I was wondering what happened here last night?"

"Yeah?" the guard said gruffly, "Well kid, you may be the town hero, but the fact that you don't know means you're not _supposed_ to know. Now go train or something instead of wasting time here!"

"Dammit," Naruto thought as he was shooed away. "I _have_ to find out who did this! What if this was Madara's work, too?"

All of a sudden, he heard a voice from one of the cells nearby.

"H-Hey! Hey, you!"

Freezing in his tracks, Naruto looked around, a quizzical look on his face.

"Yes, you! Come here, to this door!" the voice said, and almost immediately Naruto could hear hard thumping noises on the door immediately to his left, as if someone was trying to kick it down.

Complying with the stranger's orders, Naruto approached the door and knocked a couple times. "Yeah, I'm here."

"Good. Now open the slat."

"The…What?" The voice sighed.

"You know that thing that lets you look into the cell without opening the door?

"Oh, you mean this eye-hole here?"

"Uh, yeah, I s'pose. See how it's covered up?"

"Yeah….So you want me to open it?"

"Yes! Now hurry before the guards notice you!"

Complying again, Naruto was surprised to recognize Karin, the girl he, Sakura and Kakashi had rescued from Sasuke when the latter had gone insane just before the war.

"K-Karin? What're you doing here?"

"Long story," replied the scarlet-haired girl. "Look, I wanna help you out finding the person who did that to the rat-boy a couple cells over."

"And why would you do that?" asked Naruto credulously.

"Because I'm scared!" declared Karin. "I hear those guys could put up a decent fight, but she killed one and incapacitated the other like it was nothing! And another thing, she can apparently break into pretty much any cell she pleases! What if this maniac decides to go after _me_ next?"

Nodding, Naruto said, "Okay, good enough for me. What can you tell me?"

"Only that she sounds young, maybe around your sensei's age…And that she mentioned Hinata's name."

"Wh-What? Wait, how would you even _know_ all that? Even _I_ can't hear what they're saying in that cell from here, and I have really good ears!"

"I used to be in the cell next to that one," the bespectacled girl told him, "They moved me over here to keep me out of the way."

"And ya should've _stayed_ outta the way!" shouted a gruff voice. Naruto whirled to find the prison guard he'd spoken to earlier. Slamming the door slat shut, he growled, "Listen, I've been watching you. Unless you wanna be thrown in one o' these cells yerself, get yer sorry ass outta my jail!"

Deciding that he had about as much info as he could get from the jail, the orange-clad ninja chose to comply. He would simply have to start with Hinata, see if she somehow knew some shady people. There was always the chance that Karin had either heard wrong or was misguiding him, though he thought the latter was unlikely as she seemed genuinely afraid.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Broken out of his reverie, he turned to see Yamato standing there.

"Naruto, the Hokage wants to see the both of us," he said gravely. "She knows about your involvement in this case."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto asked, "So then what's that got to do with _you_, Yamato-taicho?"

"You'll see when we get there," came the stern reply. "Now c'mon!"

When they arrived in her office, Tsunade was facing away from them, her chair turned to face the window instead.

"Naruto," she said, "I always knew you were mediocre at following orders at best….But _butting into a police investigation_? Really?"

Turning towards them, the Hokage made it clear she was not pleased.

"I don't know what's more irresponsible of you: interfering in police matters, or actually listening to a _prisoner_ for advice!"

"Well, it seemed legit!" Naruto cried, attempting to defend himself.

Shaking her head, Tsunade admonished him, "That's why we have intelligence officers. The difference between a combat unit like yourself and an intelligence officer is that intel officers know how to separate fact from fiction. For all you know, she could be _protecting_ the suspect, leading you and the investigation around in circles!"

Stomping his foot, Naruto shouted, "Well, what am I _supposed_ to do, then? Just sit by while my girlfriend is cut down, the culprit murdered, while all signs seem to point to Madara?"

Tsunade blinked. "What…What did you just say?" she demanded.

"You heard me, Granny," he replied. "Think about it. We _know_ some samurai in black armor- I think his name was 'Muramasa' or something- was behind the attack. But what if he was acting on Madara's orders? After all, what _other_ reason could he have had? Second, what if this murder was Madara keeping the thugs quiet so they don't squeal on him?"

Taking a pensive stance, Tsunade considered his words. "Hm, that _does_ make some sense," she muttered. "Fine, then. Here's what we'll do: Yamato, Naruto, I want you two to go after whoever did this and bring them in for questioning."

"Understood!" shouted an enthusiastic Naruto, running out the door.

"Lady Hokage, if I may," said Yamato.

"Yes?"

"Are you sure this is…wise? We both know how impulsive he can be…."

"Yes, but then again, I was actually looking for an excuse to put him on this investigation," she replied, her expression a grave one. "The cause of death has been determined to be shock caused by rapid chakra loss. According to our coroner's estimate, death was near-instantaneous. Naruto has a near-limitless supply of chakra, so he just might be our best hope against whoever this is, if it comes to a fight."

Nodding, Yamato excused himself from the room as well.

As Naruto and Yamato left Tsunade's office, Shikamaru was hard at work documenting what he was seeing. It was astounding; there was a whole estate, plus some earth underneath it, apparently floating in the sky above the village. However, it was gradually losing altitude at a fraction of a kilometer ever few hours.

"What'cha looking at?" asked Temari, coming up behind him.

"Huh? Oh, uh, nothin'," he said, hiding both the telescope and the notebook he was using.

"Uh-huh. Y'know, I've seen that telescope before…..I sure hope you're not using it to stare into some poor girl's bath. One would think you get enough 'action' anyway."

Noticing the tone of her voice, Shikamaru realized, much to his chagrin, that she was referring to Jiraiya's "habit" of "lady-watching".

"No!...Er, I mean, no, that's not what I'm doing." Sighing, he produced his findings. "Look up there with the telescope," he said, pointing, "Do you see it?"

"Oh Kami," muttered the girl, "You're telling me that that's just floating up there and _no one_ noticed?"

"I guess," replied Shikamaru, "Though it's losing altitude, according to my calculations."

Looking over his formulas, Temari nodded. "Well, you'd better tell your Hokage quickly," she told him. "Based on this data, it looks like whoever's living up there will be next-door neighbors to her in a matter of days!"

"Yeah," muttered the jonin, "But I wonder what the heck is going on here?"

Having received the mission from Gai-sensei, Lee sped through the village to his new student's residence. Tears of joy were streaming from his eyes as he recalled the exchange. Gai-sensei, knowing that his "star pupil", Lee, had wanted dearly to begin teaching, had arranged for him to do just that. Placing his full confidence in the boy, the jonin handed him a very important assignment- get one of his peers up to or above par in her taijutsu so she could finally be taken off of the waitlist and be placed onto a squad. Lee remembered how he himself had been placed on the waitlist upon graduation from the Academy. His grades were high enough for him to advance, but his teachers were concerned about his inability to do anything but taijutsu. Rather than be put on a squad right away, therefore, he was put on the waitlist, until Gai-sensei finally arranged for him to be on his team with Neji and Tenten. He was determined, therefore, to show the same kindness and generosity to this prospective student of his; to show her someone cared. When he got there, however, he was surprised by what he saw. The address pointed him to a well-established tailor shop near his own house. This was the main clothing store in the village; most of the ninja of Konoha bought their clothes in bulk from them. It was even said that the proprietors' clan had ninjas in it as well, though not everyone was gifted with ninja abilities.

Stepping into the store, Lee automatically began staring at the new training suits that were on display. Gai-sensei himself had sponsored the construction of these suits, and surprisingly to everyone but Lee and Gai himself, they quickly proved to be top-of-the-line athletic wear. Suddenly, a voice broke him out of his reverie.

"Well, hello there! You must be the one Gai-san sent over, yes?" the voice belonged to a middle-aged man, who was the owner of the shop. Lee himself was a frequent customer, but the man never did seem to be able to remember a customer's face, opting to remember their tailoring and dry-cleaning orders instead. Finally realizing who he was speaking, to, the man lit up. "Ah, Lee-san! That's right, now I remember!"

"Aheh, yes, that is me!" Lee replied, grinning.

"Good, good. And will you be the one to tutor my daughter?"

"Yes sir, I believe so!" exclaimed Lee in his typical enthusiastic manner.

"Right, then….Ito! Come out and meet your—"

"But _Father_," the girl whined, "I'm in the middle of a project, here! Can't he wait a few more minutes? I promise I'm almost done!"

"Young lady," began the man in a warning tone.

"No, it is alright," interrupted Lee, raising his hands reassuringly. "While I wait, I would actually like to browse the store, if you do not mind."

"Well alright then," muttered the man.

Once Lee returned from running his purchases home, he nearly ran full-tilt into someone exiting the store. She was a rather pretty girl, with fair skin and black hair tied into a hairstyle similar to Anko's. Her choice of clothing was rather unique; Lee was sure he'd never seen any item she was wearing in any clothing store. He got the impression that she changed outfits on a daily basis. Today she was wearing predominantly black and green; a loose-fitting green top over a black tank-top, black-and green striped, fingerless gloves that reached up to her forearms, and a skirt over bike shorts. Taken aback by each other's choice in fashion, Lee and the girl simply stared blankly at each other for a few minutes.

"Are you…..Hataya Ito?" Lee asked.

"Y-Yeah….Does that mean _you're_ Rock Lee?"

He simply nodded.

"This is going to be interesting," she said.

Lee could tell from her tone that he had his work cut out for him.

Later, as the sun began to set, Yamato and Naruto met in front of the Hokage's Mansion, their agreed-upon rendezvous point. They had both been running all over Konoha, attempting to find out whatever they could, ever since leaving the Hokage's office earlier that day. However, no one who claimed to have witnessed her in the act ever seemed to have seen the same thing. Some said she was an avenging spirit, going after criminals because she was killed by one in the past. Others called her a demon, fearful of her ability to infiltrate criminal lairs with seeming ease and the fact that she typically drained the chakra out of her victims. By the time they met to compare notes, about the only thing Yamato and Naruto had heard with any degree of consistency was that their target was female and that she lived in or near the red-light district of the village.

"Are you ready?" Yamato asked his subordinate, "Our initial investigation didn't uncover all that much, so we're probably in for an all-nighter."

"Don't worry about me!" said Naruto, "I've got energy to burn! And besides, no _way_ I'm fallin' asleep when it's possible that there's an enemy in the village!"

"Right, then. What little info we have seems to point to the bad side of town, so we'll start there."

At this, they raced off.

Around the same time, as she returned to her room following some errands for Choji's mother, Momo was greeted with a massive headache.

"Gah," she groaned as she collapsed in the center of what had become her room. "Grrrgh," she uttered as she tried to call for help.

She had no idea why her head felt like it was in a vice. All she knew was, there was no logical reason for it to feel that way. Then, almost as suddenly as the headache started, she began hearing a voice.

"Shirona," it called. "Wh-Who the hell…?" she thought.

"Stand up, Shirona."

As if responding to the command, her body forced its way into an upright standing position.

"Ghk," she grunted, "Who are you and h-how are you doing that?"

"I am your master, Shirona," replied the voice, "Or have you _forgotten_?"

At this, Momo's mind began to race all on its own as she gasped for air due to the pain, with images flying by at crazy speeds. First, she saw a man in a sinister mask. Then, she was thrust past several black-cloaked figures, all wearing bizarre headbands with black metal. Finally, she stopped just in front of one of the cloaked figures. As the figure stepped into the light, it was revealed to be a near-reflection of herself; only this girl had a cold, steely look in her eyes, as if her heart had frozen solid. Oddly enough, her headband was white.

"N-No! It's….Not….True!" Momo managed. Mustering all her remaining willpower, she screamed, "_**I**_ _**have no master!**_"

With a sound not unlike glass shattering, the vision dissipated, and she collapsed once again, this time unconscious, just in time for an extremely worried Choji to break down her door. "Momo! Are you alright? What happened? Why was the door locked? Momo!"

No matter how many questions he asked or how many times he called her, however, she refused to awaken.

"Hm," mused Madara from his lair, "This is quite the interesting development. It seems that our little Shirona has delved so deep undercover that she fully believes she is this 'Momo' girl."

"So much for a sleeper," Kabuto muttered under his breath.

"Did you say something?" asked Madara in a dangerous tone.

"No, of course not, Madara-sama."

"Good. However, from what I have heard, things are about to get very interesting in Konoha tonight. Perhaps we should watch."

* * *

Whoa, looks like things are going to get intense really soon! Be sure to tune in next chapter to see what happens next! (And review some of the existing ones while you wait, if you would be so kind...!)


	21. Cornered!

Chapter 21- Cornered…!

As Naruto and Yamato sped towards the bad side of town, Kuroko was awakened by her grandfather's voice.

"Kuro-chan, it's time for you to eat breakfast," he said gently.

"Five more minutes," she muttered sleepily, pulling the cover over her face.

Neatly yanking it away from her, the old man chided, "Oh no you don't. You're getting up now, and you're going to wash up and eat _real_food tonight. I don't like how you've been running off of nothing but rations and chakra for the last few nights."

Snapping awake from the sudden chill, Kuroko yanked the blanket up again to cover herself. "G-G-Grandpa!" she whined, "C'mon! I'm not decent!"

"So _get_decent," he replied gently but firmly as he turned to leave the room, "Or else you'll be eating your breakfast dressed like that…..Sitting out on the porch."

"Dirty old man," she grumbled once he was out of earshot. Throwing off the covers, she stripped down, grabbing a towel as she left her room for the shower. "Waking me up as soon as the sun goes down…..Seriously, who _does_ that?" she continued to grumble. "He had better have cooked me up some _damn_fine miso ramen if he's gonna make me eat 'normal' food and get fat!"

After getting dressed, she practically leapt down the stairs following the scent of her favorite dish. Cramming in a mouthful of the rare treat, she earned a smack to the head from Kentaro, courtesy of a small folding fan she had "borrowed" from a corrupt official from the Land of Wind some years back.

"Kuro-chan," he sighed, "If you don't clean up your act, you'll _never_find a husband."

Swallowing hard, the girl stammered, "Wh-Wh-What the _hell_, Grandpa? You know as well as I do I can't get married!"

"But I want grandchildren!" the man replied with a wry smile.

"Yeah, well even _if_I got married somehow," she said, staring at the palms of her hands and glancing at the reflection of her face in her grandfather's glasses, "I couldn't have kids. You'd need to….Y'know. And I can't do that. Can't touch anyone or I risk draining their life force, remember?"

"Ah yes, right," the old man said wistfully. Straightening up from his hunched position, he sighed with relief. "You're lucky this old man's a retired ninja," he said, "Otherwise I don't think I could _take_being bent over like that all day, every day."

"Do you have the intel I asked you to get?"

"Yes, child. It took me a few days to properly collect the information, but it's all here," he said, handing her a folded note, "Here's your list of 'errands' for the night."

Hastily wiping her mouth after finishing her food, Kuroko rose to leave. "Thanks, Grandpa. I'd hug you, but….Y'know."

"Yes, I know, child," he said, his heart heavy for his adopted granddaughter's lonely existence, "I know. I know too well."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, Kuro-chan. You'd best hurry; the night won't stay young forever."

"Alright," she said, "And remember to cast that genjutsu on my room like we talked about!"

"I will child," the old man replied, returning to his hunched stature with a groan of exertion, "And be careful."

"You always say that, Grandpa," teased the girl. "Don't worry!" At this, she melted into the shadows of the evening, leaving her grandfather alone.

As Kuroko began her night, Ito was wishing she hadn't begun hers. Lee had made her run all the way from her home to the training ground just for warm-up. After that came a thirty-minute lecture about how to properly run so she could both run faster and stand a better chance of not injuring herself. Next came stretching, which was just brutal. Overenthusiastic as always, Lee had tried to "help" her on several stretches, until every relevant muscle in her body ached. When the time came to do a whopping one thousand push-ups, she was already ready to quit.

"Remind me again why we're out here at _night_?" she asked in an annoyed tone as they faced each other after the last set of stretches.

"You are needed to assist your family at your store during the day," came Lee's chipper reply, "And also, it is much cooler at night. If you train at night, you stand much less of a chance of overheating!"

"Well, that makes sense, I guess," she thought. "But _one thousand_push-ups? Can't we start with something simpler?"

"Okay then," Lee said, "Then how about crunches?"

"Same number?"

"Of course!"

"Then no! When I said 'simpler,' I meant _easier_! Not everyone is you or Gai-sensei!"

"Ohh," Lee said as if the thought hadn't previously occurred to him, "Alright then, how about….five hundre—" Trailing off when he saw his student glaring at him, he could tell she wasn't happy. "Hm, well, I honestly do not know. _I_would do two thousand a time at the very least, but perhaps—"

"Whoa," Ito marveled, "You were _already_going easy on me?"

Lee simply nodded, then continued, saying, "Perhaps it would be best for you to just show me how many you can do at a time, just so we can see where to start."

"_Much_better," Ito said as she got down on her hands and knees. As she did, Lee couldn't help but notice her cleavage. Blushing, he was caught by surprise when she asked him in an exasperated tone, "Well, are you gonna tell me when to start or not?"

"Um, uh, go!" Lee yelled.

His reaction just now…..Was he being a pervert? And why was he so suddenly interested in this girl, when he had repeatedly declared his love for Sakura? "No!" the zealous shinobi thought as he slapped himself across the face, "You must not let your heart or eyes wander! And in place of Gai-sensei, you must discipline yourself!"

Hearing the second slap, Ito looked up from her push-ups to see her tutor with red handprints on either cheek. "Are you….Okay?" she asked warily. What was this guy's problem?

"I-I-I am sorry I looked down your shirt!" he screamed, squeezing his eyes shut, "Hit me however many times you wa—Ack!"

Ito thrust her hand over his mouth, practically tackling him. Straddling him as she kept her hands firmly clamped over his mouth, she hissed, "Shh! What's your problem? You want the whole _village_to hear or something?"

"N-No," came the muffled reply.

"Then _shut up_," she said as she took her hands off of his face.

Taking hold of her wrists on impulse, he asked, "Y-You are not going to strike me?"

"Um, _no_," she replied. "It was actually kind of amusing that you actually admitted to it, though. Very cute," she noted. "And what's this about you just jumping to hitting? Surely you don't think all of us girls are _that_violent?"

"Well, it is just that that is Sakura-chan's usual—"

"Oh, I see," she chuckled, "So Sakura's your girlfriend? Funny, she never said anything about dating a guy."

"Sakura-chan is my love! I would do anything for her!" Lee exclaimed in reply.

"Oh really?" asked Ito.

"Y-Yes," Lee squawked.

"So you _are_together?"

"Well, I, uh….It's, er, complicated."  
"Because she hits you?" Ito asked, "Because I hate when one person in a couple beats up their partner. I'm gonna go give Sakura a piece of my mind," Ito said, a determined expression on her face.

"Wh-What?" Lee replied as she ran off. "No! Ito, wait!" Why was it so hard to say what he wanted to say around this girl? She wasn't Sakura-chan…..Though she did treat him a little better than Sakura did….Pondering these things, Lee chased after Ito as quickly as his feet would carry him.

At the Akimichi estate, the tone had turned grim. Not even Sakura could find a medical cause for Momo's fainting, or any possible reason why she kept muttering the name "Shirona." A visit from Ino brought news that was even more distressing: Momo's mind was a complete blank. Whatever had happened that had made her collapse, it was as if her mind was a dark room with no light switch.

"A-Are you _sure_, Ino?" Choji asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," she said, concern for her new friend all over her face. "Fortunately, given time, she _can_recover. There's no telling what'll be left of her memory, though."

Sighing, Choji squeezed Momo's hand. "C'mon," he pleaded with her, "You gotta wake up, Momo…You just gotta."

Tearing up slightly at the tragic sight, Ino wiped her eyes and turned away. "We…We should let her rest," the blonde girl said, "I have to go, but I'll be back tomorrow to check on her, I promise."

After Choji distractedly thanked her, Ino left the room and met up with Sakura.

"So her mind's a big blank and we _still_don't know what happened?"

Ino nodded. "Yeah," she said between sniffles. "But you should've _seen_ Choji begging her to wake up! He's like a brother to me, Sakura…..I…I just can't _stand_to see him that way!"

"Hey," Sakura said as she hugged Ino reassuringly, "She'll make it through this. We both know that."

"Oh Kami, I hope so," the blonde girl whispered quietly as she wiped her eyes.

Right at that moment, Naruto and Yamato were visiting Yama's office, where police officers were still trying to figure out what had happened.

"Whoa," Naruto muttered as they entered, "No signs of a struggle, no forced windows _or_doors….This lady's some kinda pro!"

"That's what's bothering me," Yamato replied, "What if she ever allied- willingly or not- with someone like Madara? For all we know, she could be working for him already. We _have_to find her, and fast." Talking to one of the analysts at the scene, they found that, once again, the culprit had cleaned out the safe.

"Jeez," Naruto groaned, glancing at the large device, "Betcha she could live pretty comfortably for a few days with that money!"

"He might be right," thought Yamato. "If that's the case," Yamato said aloud, "Then we'd better ask around for any suspicious spending, particularly in the last few days."

"Don't bother," replied a stern voice.

Almost immediately, Naruto got a bad feeling, as if he knew beforehand that he wouldn't like the owner of the voice. Turning to see who it was, the duo found the lead investigator, a man they only knew as "Akira," walking up to them. He was a stern-looking man, and from the best Naruto could tell from the white streaks in his hair and the slight wrinkles that were forming on his face, he was middle-aged.

"What're _you_looking at, boy?" he grunted when he noticed Naruto peering at him.

"Nothing, hawk-nose," the fox-boy shot back, noticing the man's oddly-shaped nose.

Sighing, Yamato addressed the older man, saying, "Akira-san. What did you mean by what you said just now?"

Withdrawing a cigarette from a box in his pocket, Akira lit it with a lighter and took a long drag. "The other bit of her M.O., that's all. She doesn't spend frivolously; you'd be chasing a dead end."

"Well, she's gotta put it _somewhere_," Naruto muttered.

"I'd check with the civilians if I were you," Akira replied between puffs, "They're wary of us cops 'round here, but maybe they'll talk to the village hero."

"It's worth a shot, I guess," muttered Yamato. Saying a hasty goodbye, they left the room.

Their interviews with the civilians living in the area turned out about as well as their initial investigation, which is to say that they didn't turn out that well at all. Some saw one thing while others saw the opposite, and that was if they saw anything at all. One minute, their suspect was a vengeful wraith. The next, she was the unsung hero of Konoha, cleaning up the streets three steps ahead of the police, while most of their other ninja handled outside threats. Still others claimed that she was a menace, an outlaw no different from those she hunted, who should be taken off the streets in the name of public safety. After hearing these reports, along with those claiming that she was anything from a Shinigami to an elaborate conspiracy by the village government, the duo finally gave up.

"Ragh, this is hopeless!" Naruto shouted at no one in particular.

"Patience," murmured Yamato, "We're not done yet. The night's still young; she might still come out."

"Yeah, Yamato-taicho, but how would _we_know? It's not like we're gonna go commit a crime or something!" As soon as Naruto said this, he wished he hadn't, for Yamato gained a devious glint in his eye upon hearing his subordinate's suggestion.

"Hey, there's an idea," he replied. "And wasn't her attack on the prison due to a personal vendetta against one of the inmates?"

"Well, yeah," Naruto muttered uncomfortably, "One of them attacked Hinata, so—"

"That's it! We'll make it look like Hinata's in danger! Once we do that, she's sure to come right to us!"

"What?...Okay, fine. I'll transform into her and—"

"Actually," Yamato said, "I think it'd be best to have the real thing. Call it a hunch."

"Yeah? Well I don't _like_your hunch! I don't wanna drag Hinata into this! She's still recovering, y'know!"

As the two continued their argument, Hinata was sneaking out of the Hyuga compound. She should have been asleep, but every time she tried, she was greeted with bizarre visions. Typically, it would entail a foggy memory of helping to nurse someone back to health, but they usually always snapped to Naruto fighting someone in a dark alleyway. However, her latest vision was different, though she was sure that it, too, was connected: a girl, a few years older than her, dressed all in black and crying alone. Desiring to get to the bottom of things, she used her Byakugan to discern Naruto's location and ran to him as fast as her still-recovering body would allow.

"I'm tellin' you, Yamato-taicho, there's _no_reason to get her inv-"

"N-Naruto...?"

"Crap."

Hinata just blinked. Naruto usually treated her fairly well, so that came as quite a shock. Was there something he was trying to keep her away from?

"Ah, Hinata, perfect timing!" Yamato greeted the girl, stepping forward.

"Um...Wh-What's going on?" she asked.

"Nothin' you need to kn-mmph!" Naruto grunted as Yamato stuffed his hand over his subordinate's mouth.

"What he _means_to say is-"

"Pardon me, but I'm sure if Naruto _meant_ to say something, Yamato-taicho, he'd have said it himself," Hinata said, her eyes narrowing slightly, prompting Yamato to release Naruto. Though she was one of the more respectful and polite ninja of Naruto's generation, she did _not_appreciate anyone treating Naruto that way.

"Gah! Heh, good going, Hinata! Anyway...There's just something that Yamato-taicho wants to get you involved in...It's potentially dangerous, is all."

"And you thought it wasn't a good idea?"

"Nope! That's what I've been tryin' to tell him for about ten minutes now!"

"What does he want me to do?"

"Basically," Yamato spoke up, "We need you to act as bait for someone we're trying to catch. Apparently our target killed an inmate at the Shinobi Prison just because he'd attacked you."

"I see..." Hinata muttered.

"Hinata, you're not seriously considering...?"

"Actually, Naruto, I am."

"B-But! Your recovery...!"

"My recovery is almost complete. And Naruto, thank you for looking out for me and worrying about me, but I'll be okay, I promise. After all, even if this person is dangerous, she killed someone on _my behalf_, apparently, so I should be safe. After all, what reason does she have to attack me?"

At this, Yamato narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "How'd you know the target was _female_? Neither of us-"

"Just a hunch. So, what do I have to do?"

"Just pretend like you're in danger, I guess," Naruto muttered. He could tell that there was no way to change her mind at that point.

"In that case," Hinata said, a mischievous glint in her eye, "I have an idea. Naruto, could you lend me a kunai? I don't have any on me right now. Father ordered Hanabi to take them from me until morning." When he handed her the weapon, she did something neither man there expected: she ripped her own jacket to shreds, and put several tears in her pants, even cutting herself a little in certain places. "Gah," she cried softly as the edge of the blade slid across the skin in her right thigh, the fabric covering it having previously been torn.

It was quite the display, actually. Both men could see that she now looked like she'd been attacked by someone, and given where in the village they were, it wasn't hard to imagine who would've done such a thing or why.

"That's impressive," Yamato commented after a short whistle, "If you ever retire from being a ninja, you could always be a costumer."

Naruto, however, was even more worried. "H-Hinata," he murmured in shock.

Noticing Naruto's expression, Hinata reassured him, saying, "Oh, d-don't worry! These are all actually really minor cuts...Any medical ninja could just heal them right up within minutes, or we can just stick bandages on them for the rest of the night!"

"They're not gonna...scar?" Naruto didn't want to sound weird or anything, but he'd heard that women hated having marks, such as scars, on their bodies.

"Naruto, it'll be _fine_," Hinata said with a tone that was getting dangerously close to exasperation.

"Um, if you two kids are about done, I have a plan," Yamato chimed in, eager to break the growing tension between the couple.

"Fine, let's hear it," Naruto muttered. Why was he having such a hard time talking to Hinata all of a sudden? This was going to be a _long_night.

A few minutes later, Kuroko was interrupted from her scouting by a shriek.

"Kyaaaaaa! Help me!"

_**CRASH!**_

"Unf!"

"Now we've got you!" roared a man's voice.

"N-No! Don't! Please! I...Mmmph!"

The lone vigilante had her suspicions, but the way the girl stammered confirmed her worst fear: Hyuga Hinata was being attacked again.

"Damn this criminal scum!" she thought as she raced in the direction of the scuffle, "Looks like we've got another death wish on our hands!"

When she got there, she was disgusted by what she saw. An older man, looking to be in his late forties, had pinned Hinata by her torn jacket to a wall in the lonely alleyway using several kunai, running his hands up and down her body as he breathed heavily into her ear.

"Nnnf," she groaned around what seemed to be a rag stuffed into her mouth as she attempted to struggle free.

"Heheh, too bad!" the man crowed as he stuck both pointer fingers into either side of the waistband of the unfortunate girl's tattered sweatpants. Slowly pulling them down around her hips, he exposed the top part of her buttocks and the fact that she was wearing lowleg panties. "Ohh," he said upon seeing this, "Looks like someone was feeling a little _daring_tonight!"

"Nnnng," Hinata continued to groan, tears forming into her eyes as she squeezed them shut.

Kuroko had seen enough. She knew she had to act, but something about the display bothered her. What was Hinata, who she believed was a veritable angel, doing in this sorry part of town at this hour? Also, why couldn't she just fight back with her clan's famous Gentle Fist taijutsu? Deciding to disregard these concerns when she saw the man try to drag the poor girl to the ground, Kuroko leapt down from her perch and attacked.

"Take this!"

_POOF!_

"Wh-What the...?" Kuroko muttered as the man she grabbed turned to smoke. Was that a Kage Bunshin? Turning to Hinata, she just gaped when the girl, from her position pinned to the alleyway wall, called to her companions.

"Naruto! Yamato-taicho! _Now!_"

Before Kuroko could do anything, wooden tendrils, not unlike tree roots, sprang from the ground and bound her arms and legs, forcing her into a kneeling position.

"Nnngh!" she grunted as she was pulled down. Whoever was controlling these tendrils meant business, for she was finding escape impossible.

"Alright!" came a cheer from the bushes. Soon after, a crowed of ninja appeared all around the kneeling girl in several puffs of smoke. The real Naruto, however, was busy unpinning Hinata from the wall. Expecting to be slapped, he grimaced, but no such blow came. Instead, when he opened his eyes, Hinata was setting about pulling her pants back up and bandaging her cuts. "Uh, Hinata...?" Naruto asked.

Hinata didn't reply, though Naruto couldn't tell whether she was upset or just embarrassed. She couldn't really tell either, though she did know that she felt rather...excited by their act, if her racing heartbeat and burning cheeks were any indication. She didn't feel confortable with this, however, so she opted to keep quiet until she had calmed back down, silently apologizing to Naruto for the brief awkwardness.

While the teens were distracted, however, Yamato was having trouble holding onto the target. Apparently, she was draining the very chakra from his wood constructs, and through them, from his body. He would have to act fast...

But in doing so, he made a terrible mistake: he let one of the tendrils touch her skin.

_**WHOOSH!**_

_Fwmp!_

The sound of a body falling over made Naruto and Hinata jump. Turning around, they saw their worst fear confirmed: Yamato-sensei was down for the count, meaning there was no one to keep their prisoner...imprisoned.


	22. Konoha's Burning Shadow!

Chapter 22- Konoha's Burning Shadow!

Kuroko was in a state of utter shock. The very girl she was trying to save had led her into a trap. Was there no one besides her grandfather she could fully trust in this godforsaken place? The fact that she was being constricted by several wooden tendrils didn't help her emotional state. She didn't mean to knock out the man who was using Mokuton, but it just happened. It was his fault for touching her, anyway, she told herself. He'd still be conscious if he'd have just left her alone.

Seeing as his quarry failed to take advantage of the situation, Naruto wasted no time creating more Kage Bunshin duplicates to bolster his defenses. However, this turned out to be a huge mistake, as evidenced when one of them grabbed one of Kuroko's arms at the wrist, which just happened to be exposed.

"Aaugh!" the clone cried as its chakra drained away.

Whatever this woman was, apparently Naruto's chakra brought her back to her senses. The next thing either Naruto or Hinata knew, their target was producing an aura of jet-black chakra, which formed itself around her like the black flames of Amanterasu itself. As the aura was rapidly decaying the now-inert wood tendrils Yamato had used to trap her not two minutes beforehand, the remaining two ninja correctly assumed that it would decay any organic matter it touched. Deciding to try not to touch it, they backed away, with two of Naruto's clones making sure to carry Yamato a safe distance away as well.

Breaking free of the impromptu prison, Kuroko flew into a rage. She had somehow convinced herself that Hinata was not a willing participant in the plan, that she would never do anything involving deception of any kind. However, this only heightened her anger towards Naruto. Neglecting to extinguish her withering aura, she charged at the young jinchuriki, who, fortunately, had had the sense to quickly move Hinata out of harm's way.

"Ngh!" Hinata grunted as Naruto quickly scooped her up, bridal-style to get her away from what was quickly becoming a battlefield. "Naruto, put me down! I can fight!"

"No, you _can't_, Hinata," Naruto said sternly, "I see now why Granny sent me on this mission; I'm the only one who can survive a fight with her."

"B-But...!"

"No, no 'buts'," Naruto said, putting her down gently a few meters away. "I want you to run straight home, understand?"

Hinata just stood there defiantly for a few seconds, but with a frustrated sigh, she finally complied. What was wrong with her? She didn't normally act this way. It was almost as if she had something to prove.

That's when it hit Naruto. She _did_ have something to prove. He was being overly protective, and _that's_why she was acting the way she was. Realizing this, he prayed he had made the right choice in sending her away as he had...For he didn't have enough time to do much else.

_WHACK!_

"Augh!" Naruto cried as he flew a short distance from the force of the punch. His target had caught him square in the jaw while he wasn't looking.

"That'll teach ya to take your eyes off me in a fight!" growled the girl, seething with rage. "And how _dare_ you force that girl to help in your trap like that! Especially with such a _vulgar_scene! Who do you think you are, huh? The guy who writes the Icha-Icha series?"

"Close enough," thought Naruto as he dragged himself to his feet. Touching his face at the point of impact, he was stunned to feel the wrinkles and numbness of withered skin under his fingers. Instantly, however, the Kyubi's healing factor kicked in, restoring the patch of skin to its normal state. It was then that he came to another realization: the Kyubi's chakra could counteract this girl's aura! Immediately igniting his Biju Cloak, he stood up completely.

"Nngh," Kuroko groaned as she winced from the sudden brightness. Whoever this kid was, he wasn't normal. What _was_he? Before she could reach a conclusion, he was upon her with a Rasengan primed to strike.

"Haaaah! Take this!"

_**BAM!**_

"Ugh!" Kuroko cried as she flew into the nearby wall. Somehow, even though that attack was chakra-based, it had still hit her, and forcefully at that. She had gotten so used to operating from the shadows that her body had forgotten how to adapt to taking hits. She couldn't move at all...And what was worse was, she had what little control she had over her aura, causing it to begin to "eat" through the wall she was thrown against, until she actually fell out the other side.

As it turns out, the wall had been part of the large wall surrounding the village. Naruto's eyes widened. Was his foe trying to escape? Deciding that he would die before letting that happen, he charged again, only for her to catch him and throw him into a nearby tree trunk.

"Gah!" he grunted, falling to the ground.

Staggering to her feet, Kuroko surveyed her attacker. Here was someone who was actually giving her a challenge. She respected him for that, but she didn't plan on losing that night. "G-Give up yet?" she taunted between gasps.

"N..._Never_," came the determined reply.

Suddenly, the vigilante realized where her fight with the boy had taken her: the very place where she had become who she was today, the Karasumori, or "Forest of Crows." It was so called because very few who ever went in ever came out, most of the others becoming food for the scavenging birds. Some years ago, Kuroko herself had been sent there as part of a detachment when the village was attacked. Apparently, the enemy had set up camp in the forest, so Konoha's leadership, particularly Shimura Danzo and the other Elders, had ordered her and her team to eradicate them, with Kuroko even promised a promotion to Danzo's own branch of the ANBU, the elite ROOT organization, upon success. However, as expected, the mission went less than well. With only two ninja on either side remaining, they were engaged in a fierce battle. Clashing with her opponent, a large, bulky shinobi from the enemy forces, Kuroko was steadily being overwhelmed. She was already a capable warrior, but this guy was just too much. Eventually, their fight saw her crashing into the trunk of a huge tree.

"Guh!" she had grunted on impact.

To her great annoyance, the impact had released a small cloud of green spores, several of which she ended up inhaling as she gasped for air. Coughing, she had looked up to see her enemy barreling at her at top speed. Fearing that this was to be the end of her, she mustered all the strength she had left...And noticed something had changed. She felt drained, almost hungry. Leaning on the trunk of the tree she had slammed into, she was astounded to see the bark rotting away at her touch. In a desperate gamble, Kuroko grabbed at the man's face with her bare hands as he fell upon her to finish her off.

_**WHOOOOSH!**_

Amid the man's screams and the sound of an evil, rushing wind, Kuroko could feel strength rushing into her body. Blacking out from the strain, the last thing she remembered of that day was her teammate, battered and bloody, standing over her wearing some sort of gas mask.

"Hey lady!" she heard a voice call, bringing her back to the present, "You gonna stand there and reminisce all night or what?"

The girl blinked in surprise. This time, _she_had been the one who had gotten distracted!

"Listen, kid," she said sternly, "We have to get out of this part of the forest!"

"Damn straight, weird-eyes," Naruto shot back, "Looks like we agree on something!"

Thanks to the light given off by the boy's aura, Kuroko saw the threat long before he did: the same green mist that had taken her powers out of control was slowly descending around his head! Unable to think of anything else, she blindly charged at him, hoping he'd leap away.

He didn't.

"Hah!" he grunted as he caught his opponent, "Whaddya think you're-"

"Move! Get away from here!" she growled in a warning tone.

"Why?" Naruto asked defiantly. "Your aura won't work on me when I'm like this!"

Breaking free from his grasp, Kuroko slugged him with a savage right hook to the jaw. "Just..._Move!"_"

"Argh!" Naruto cried as he tumbled a short distance away.

Unfortunately, Kuroko ended up in the path of the spores instead.

Coughing heavily, the vigilante clutched at her own throat. Something was wrong- she couldn't breathe! Falling to her knees, she felt her strength leave her once again. Just as everything went black, however, she heard a man's voice.

"Naruto, get back!"

_POOF!_

Whoever the voice belonged to had thrown some sort of smoke bomb at Kuroko, which erupted into a cloud of thick blue smoke. By that time, the girl had already lost consciousness, but somehow, this new chemical in the air had restored her ability to breathe properly. Coughing slightly, she simply lay there, motionless.

"Whoa, Yamato-taicho, what _was_that?" gasped Naruto.

"Shut up and put this on first," came the gruff reply as Yamato tossed another gas mask to his subordinate.

Activating the mask, Naruto put it on. "Yessh, taicho, what's the big deal?"

"This part of the forest is extremely dangerous. There's a rare kind of tree that grows here; and its spores will boost the power of your natural abilities to uncontrollable levels if you inhale them."

"Whoa," muttered the boy. "So, what, that blue stuff was some kind of antidote?"

"Yeah," muttered the older man, "Even if she's a potential enemy, I can't just let her powers overwhelm her, can it? And besides, she looks like someone I know."

As Yamato moved to gingerly turn the girl so that she was face up, Naruto was hit by yet another sudden realization.

"Wait a second! Yamato-taicho, last time I saw you, you were down for the count! How're you here now?"

"Thank Hinata. Once you sent her away, she woke me up and used both a Soldier Pill and her Gentle Fist to boost my chakra enough so that I could function. If it wasn't for her doing that, I'd still be...Oh, Kami."

"What now?" Naruto asked, almost exasperatedly.

"I...I _do _know this girl," Yamato muttered. "You wanna know how I know so much about this forest? I was here, several years ago. She and I were the only survivors of a suicide mission that took place here!"

"Wh-what?" gasped Naruto.

"Yeah...Back when I still went by my real name, 'Tenzo'. Anway, we'd better get her to the village hospital. All three of us are due for quarantine."

"Quara...What?" asked Naruto with a bewildered expression.

"Oh, just _come on_," groaned his superior as he struggled to lift the unconscious woman onto his back without touching her skin. "Tonight's gonna be a _long_ night."

* * *

Wait, so Yamato _knows_ this girl? Tune in next time to find out the details!


	23. A Shadowed Past and a Bright Future!

And now for the belated twenty-third chapter of my story! I'd like to thank every one of my readers for this story (whether you reviewed or not) for sticking around this long, and hopefully staying with it until the end. Arigato! As always, OCs are mine, canon characters are Kishi's.

* * *

Chapter 23: A Shadowed Past and a Bright Future!

Once the waking world went black around her, Kuroko was instantly transported back into her memories. When she next awoke after that fateful battle, she had found herself propped up against the trunk of a nearby tree, a gas mask placed over her nose and mouth. She ached all over, and even felt a little sick. What was going on? She'd have to find someone who knew. Unfortunately, she didn't know any of the people from her squad personally. All she knew was that all but one of them were dead. Somehow, she managed to return to Konoha. The specific process she used, however, was as much a blur to her as what had transpired during that fateful battle. Shambling along like a zombie, she scared several villagers unintentionally.

"It's a ghost!" some cried.

"No, it's a demon!" said others.

Whatever they said, their shared opinion was clear: not only was she suddenly unwelcome in her own village, everyone treated her as if she was supposed to be _dead_. After several blocks' worth of stumbling around, avoiding crowds of frightened onlookers, the disoriented girl eventually came upon the Hokage's residence. Just as she was about to go in to announce herself alive, however, she saw something that truly horrified her: a funeral service held for her squad, complete with a picture of her to show that she was supposedly one of the dead!

"No," she'd wanted to shout, "I'm not dead! I'm right here!" However, try as she might, no words would come. She was both too weak and shocked to speak. It was all she could do not to faint there and then. That's when she heard something else that was truly stunning.

"Kuroko," said a male voice, recognizable as that of one of her teammates, "I've always looked up to you. You were always one of my inspirations as a ninja, and...Well, I really...admired you. We all did. Now that you're gone, we are- well, actually, mostly it's 'I am'- left with a void to fill, particularly in the way of what we should do next. But you wouldn't like that, would you? Heh, no, of course not. You were always the go-getter. So to honor you, we'll keep striving, as we always have. We'll work just like you're with us, even though you can't be anymore. And most of all...We- mostly 'I' again-will miss you. I hope your next life is better and longer than this one, and I hope we meet again when I cross over into the next world, even for an instant like we did in this one."

Kuroko just stood there for a second. If she remembered right, the person speaking was Tenzo, who she remembered as being a "tree-hugger," plant-lover and total dork, marked the least likely to survive. Had she misjudged him? She didn't have much time to find out, however, for elsewhere, she heard the sounds of a scuffle. Still feeling on edge from being chased around town and learning that she was legally dead, she decided to investigate, if only to calm her nerves or finally rest in peace with another battle. Sure enough, she stumbled upon two thugs mugging an old man.

"Give us yer rent, ya old fogey!" one of them shouted.

"Heheh, yeah, bone-bag, you owe us!"

"I...paid you two...last week," the man wheezed.

"What did you say?" one of the thugs asked gruffly. "You talkin' back to me now? Ya got a death wish or somethin' gramps?"

"No, I-"

"Leave him alone!" Kuroko found herself shouting. Right on cue, the miscreants turned to face her. She had just given away her position to the enemy. Whoops.

"You want some'a this, bitch?" the more cocky of the thugs asked her, seeing another easy target, "Because there's plenty to go around!"

That's when it happened. Confused, shaken, and now angry, the girl underwent a change, made most noticeable by her eyes. Her eyes were normally black, but that was limited to the iris and pupil, rather than the entire eyeball. However, by the time the dastardly duo realized it, the black had completely overtaken her eyes.

"Rrrrrrargh!" she roard as she grabbed both thugs by the faces, having run at them with speeds akin to those of Maito Gai.

_**WHOOOOSH!**_

In a matter of seconds, both men were left empty husks, just like her first victim, and like quite a few to come.

Staring at her hands, the girl marveled at her horrific ability. "Wh-What the...?"

"Oof," grunted the old man as he struggled to his feet. "Ah, well, well...Thanks for the help, young lady!"

"Don't thank me, old man...I'm some kind of freak."

"Nonsense!" the elderly man said as he dusted himself off, smiling, "You're a hero! You just saved my life!"

"At the cost of theirs," she muttered gravely. "I...I need to go."

"Go _where_, child?" asked the man kindly. "Judging by how you reacted to that boy's eulogy just now, he must've been speaking about _you_...Which means everyone thinks you are now dead."

"Watch yourself, old man," Kuroko growled, shooting him a death glare. "I'm _not_ dead. I...I'm not. H-How the hell do you even know how I reacted?"

"Good," mused the eccentric man, "You still have some fight left in you even after all that. That's most important above all."

Raising an eyebrow, Kuroko regarded the man warily. "Wh-what? What the hell is your problem, old man?"

Smiling softly, he continued, "You were so shocked at the time that you failed to notice, but those ruffians actually chased my wrinkled old hide right past you when you stopped to listen to the speech."

"I...I see. Well, whatever. Are you alright?"

"Nng," he grunted as he took a pained step forward, "Nothing a good bit of bed rest can't fix...Though I might need a little help getting home..."

"Yeah, yeah," the disgruntled girl muttered. Though she would have preferred to have declared herself to the Hokage straightaway, she figured that she at least owed it to the old-timer, whom she could've helped a lot earlier had she been more attentive to her surroundings, to take him to his home. Once she had raided the pockets of her victims, finding sunglasses, a pair of gloves and large wad of cash, she donned the shades and gloves, then lifted the man onto her back, taking care to not make skin contact with him.

Trekking through the village, they eventually came to his residence, which was guarded by several more thugs, probably friends of the ones she had killed in the alleyway..

"You live _here_?" she asked.

"Why yes," came the jovial, though weak, reply. "Why do you ask? Is there some sort of problem?"

"Damn straight there's a problem," the girl thought to herself as she blew her bangs out of her face. There was no way she could just leave the ailing man alone, though she would cause much too much chaos by dropping him off at the hospital in person. Furthermore, her own energy supplies running out, she realized that there was no way she could win back the man's house just then. Noticing that he was unconscious, she stole away to her own home at the edge of the red-light district, a small, but well-kept two story house where she lived alone. It was beginning to seem like living like that was no longer an option for her anymore, however. It was her first priority to get this man healed, no matter the cost. Just as she laid him down in her bed, however, she was surprised to find a knife at her throat. Someone had silently followed her!

"Place your hands where I can see them," ordered a stern female voice.

Seeing no other choice, Kuroko complied, trying her best to try and see her assailant, for her voice sounded vaguely familiar.

"Turn around...Slowly," the voice ordered her further.

Upon doing so, Kuroko was greeted with a welcome sight: her would-be attacker was the Hyuga clan leader's wife and her own former sensei, as well as something of a mother figure to her, Hyuga Hinome, someone who was known for her great kindness and skill with herbal remedies. She was just as her student remembered her: beautiful face, long dark hair, and a fierce expression when confronting a perceived threat, though even then something of her kind nature could be glimpsed in the warmth of her eyes. Unlike other ninja, especially those of the Hyuga clan, she had very warm eyes, eyes that betrayed a great love- a love of life, a love for others, and most of all, a love of justice. "Am I glad to see you," Kuroko managed before the Hyuga cut her off.

"I don't know what you were trying to do with that man, but I saw what you did in the alleyway," the woman continued in her eerily beautiful voice. "I am Hyuga Hinome, and I will not allow a murderer to run rampant in the streets of my village!"

"S-sensei, it's me! It's Kuroko! And I...I didn't mean to kill them!" the girl protested, tearing off her looted sunglasses to reveal her now coal-black eyes. "And besides, shouldn't your main priority be this old guy? He's hurt!"

Dumbstruck, Hinome lowered her kunai, tears forming in her eyes. "K-Kuroko? But I thought...The funeral...? And what happened to your eyes?"

"The funeral was premature. I'm not dead! And what about my eyes?"

Wiping her eyes, the older woman smiled. "I'm glad you're safe," she said, "But then what happened in the alley? I thought I'd trained you better than that."

"I dunno...You know how I was always able to drain people's chakra? My abilities are out of control, Sensei! I...I dunno how to stop it!"

As she began to tend to the old man's wounds, Hinome allowed her student to relay the events of the mission and its aftermath, nodding grimly at certain points, and looking on just as seriously as the younger girl took time to look over the changes her eyes had undergone using a mirror. "I think I know what's going on," she said. "That tree you slammed into...It was probably the cause of your powers going out of control. There isn't any known cure for that, however. I can only think of a way to give you a better handle on your powers so you don't automatically kill everyone you touch."

Once they had tended to the old man's injuries, the two women decided to go back to his house to look at the situation there. It was only when they stepped into the sunlight that Kuroko saw that her sensei had a noticeable bulge in her stomach. "Oh Kami, Sensei, are you...?"

"Pregnant? Why yes, I am," she replied cheerfully- or, at least, as cheerfully as she could, given the circumstances at hand. "It will be my eldest daughter's first day in the world in a few months," she said, gently patting the bulge.

"Okay, no. Just _no_. I am _not_ letting you come along with me to stop those thugs. Just give me that medicine or whatever that you promised, and I'll go by myself."

"Why? So you can take them all on yourself? So you can kill them?"

"I...Well what were _you_ going to do?"

"_I_ was going to go to the police and have them take care of this, actually. From what you've told me, it's pretty clear that what these people are doing is illegal."

"Like the cops _care_ about that, Sensei," Kuroko muttered.

"Listen to yourself!" said Hinome. "You sound like-"

"No, _you_ listen! I just had my whole life taken away from me by some damn tree, Sensei. This man is no different! He had his very home taken from him by some thugs who he'd already paid off! I can't just stand by and let this happen!"

"So your solution is to do unto them as they've done unto him...Or even worse, to _murder_ them?"

"I never said my decision was a pretty one."

"Or the _right_ one. It doesn't sound like I can convince you, does it?"

"I doubt it."

"Very well...Just know that the path you have chosen is one of darkness, my dear student. I am not sure I can continue to support you if you truly follow through with this choice."

After a pause, Kuroko replied, "As big of a loss as that is to me, Sensei, I don't see any alternative."

"...I see. I will meet you back here in an hour's time with the medicine. I only hope and pray that that you have changed your mind by then..."

True to her word, Hinome returned in exactly an hour. "Here we are. Simply swallow this powder," she said, showing her student a packet of fine blue powder. "It won't completely negate the effects of the spores, but it _will_ give you greater control over your abilities."

Once she had swallowed the stuff, Kuroko could immediately feel her head get hot. In the blink of an eye, her irises had become noticeable once again, though they had become red and luminescent, as she noted upon seeing her reflection in her mirror. "Wh-what the?" she muttered, stunned.

"That is simply a cosmetic change; a side-effect more than anything else," Hinome noted. "As for this mission...Are you _sure_?"

"Yes, Sensei, I am. Knowing scum like this, they probably have some kinda leverage on this guy, or else he would've gone to the cops himself. The fact that they didn't look into things of their own volition shows that they don't care, either, since it's not like they were really trying to hide anything when they beat him up in that alley."

"Just promise me you won't stoop to killing them unless you absolutely have to. They aren't enemy ninja- as evil as they are, they are still citizens of our village, and non-ninja, at that."

"I can't make any promises, but I'll try to leave as many alive as I can."

"You do know that this is the last time we can meet if you decide to act like this? Decide to become a vigilante?"

"Why? Because you're afraid of your clan's status being tarnished?"

"H-how dare you?"

"So I'm right!...And here I thought I could trust you, Sensei..."

Frustrated, Hinome sighed. "Kuroko, it is _not_ because of my clan. In fact, if it wasn't for the fact that I truly love Hiashi, I would've left that clan ages ago. However, I cannot condone illegal acts, particularly those perpetrated by those I care about...Even if their hearts are mostly in the right place."

"So...This is it then, huh?"

"Yes. The next time we meet, I will have to capture you for the crime of vigilantism and turn you in to the police."

"Then promise me these things before I leave. First, that you won't come after me or the old man...Second, that you keep the fact that I'm alive a secret." Pausing again for a moment, she finished, saying, "And if I really am diving into the darkness by doing this, then make sure your daughter doesn't end up like me...Make sure she's always facing the sun."

"Of course, Kuroko," the older woman replied, holding back the tears as best she could, "However, I will ask again: are you sure this is the path you want to take?"

"Yes, Sensei. Goodbye." Turning away to ensure her tears stayed hidden, the hate-filled girl dashed away in the direction of the old man's house, her mind still on the bond she had just broken...If it was really even broken in the first place. "Sensei probably won't allow me near her kid, will she?" the girl mused sadly. "Well, whatever! If I live through tonight, I'll make sure to watch over her...Because of who her mother is to me, it's pretty much my duty...The kid will be something like my baby sister, after all!"

Simply staring after her former student, Hinome sighed bitterly. "My student...My dear student...I might not be able to see you again, but I wish you well."

Arriving at the house by nightfall, Kuroko kept to the shadows. Testing out the controlled version of her new powers, she knocked out the guards at the front, draining their chakra and adding it to her own. "Hm," she mused. "That...That tasted funny." Was she already going insane? Why would chakra have _any_ taste to begin with, especially when it never had before? Shrugging it off and feeling her strength returning to her, the girl assumed she had become something akin to a vampire- a creature of the night who had to feed off of others to survive, much like a parasite. With this new realization, she plunged into the darkness of the house, hoping to root out the evil sure to be within.

In the real world, however, Kuroko's body lay in one of the hospital's quarantine rooms, twitching slightly every so often as her dream reached another one of its more active phases. Hinata could do nothing for her but watch her through the small window that looked into the room. Yamato had gone to report to the Hokage, and Naruto was with her, but for once, the girl's focus was not on him in the slightest, though not for lack of trying on his part. There was something strangely familiar about this older girl...Something that didn't quite make sense to her in thought, but she knew in her heart. Suddenly, as if in a trance, the Hyuga heiress opened the door into the quarantine room and entered.

"H-Hinata?" a shocked Naruto shouted as he got up to pursue her. Entering the room himself, he was stunned to see his girlfriend, though she didn't seem to be fully in control of her actions, stand by the mysterious girl, the one who Yamato-taicho said he knew.

Right at that moment, Kuroko's eyes snapped wide open. "Ngh," she groaned. After a few wheezing coughs, she managed to see Hinata standing there. "H-Hinome-sensei...?" she asked, clearly shocked at the sight.

Hinata's eyes just widened. "What did you say...?" she asked, shocked. "H-How do you know my mother's name?"

Naruto just stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do. Here he had thought he knew everything there was to know about Hinata...Looks like he was mistaken.

* * *

Hopefully no one's getting tired of cliffhangers...Anyway, review, please! Or just add to your favorites...To be honest, after totally disappearing from the site for a few months like I did, I'm just happy to see someone reading my work at all by now.


	24. Shadows of the Past!

You didn't think I was only releasing _one_ chapter after such a long time away, did you...?

* * *

Chapter 24: Shadows of the Past!

Unable to tear their gaze away from one another, the two girls simply stared at each other for a few minutes. A myriad of questions raced through Hinata's mind. Who was this girl, and why did she know her mother's name? Furthermore, did she just refer to her mother as "sensei"?

Similarly, Kuroko's mind raced in an attempt to find answers of its own. Who was this girl, really, and why did she remind her so much of her former teacher? She had met her before, but she had no idea that this girl was indeed the very one she had sworn to watch over so many years ago.

"You...You're not Hinome-sensei...You're...Hi-"

"I'm _Hinata_, her daughter," Hinata said quietly but deliberately, cutting her off.

"Right. I know that," muttered the older girl, not hearing Hinata mention that she was Hinome's daughter. "You couldn't be Hinome-sensei...She's...She's not here anymore."

"It's alright, you don't have to use euphemisms," Hinata said quietly, "She's _dead_. Killed in battle."

Both girls fell silent, and an awkward silence set in. Even to someone like Naruto, who didn't know Hinata's mother at all, it was clear from their awkwardness in approaching the subject of her death that both Hinata and this mystery girl loved her deeply.

"Uh, hey, Hinata?" he called the Hyuga girl in an effort to break the mounting awkwardness, "Maybe we should just let her rest for the time being."

"...No," she said. "No. I'm only going to talk to her. I have to know...Know why she's talking about my mother as if she knew her!"

"It's...It's fine," replied Kuroko, "She deserves to know."

"He wasn't saying that for your sake," came a familiar voice from behind Naruto. The fox-boy whirled around to find Yamato-taicho standing there, a small unit of other ninja at his back. His expression was deadly serious, though Naruto definitely didn't sense any hatred or resentment. It was almost as if Yamato was struggling to believe some fact that he had always believed was false.

"You...You're...You're Tenzo...?"

"That was my _old_ code-name. It's 'Yamato,' now."

"However, you can still call him 'Tenzo' if you'd like," chimed in still another voice.

Realizing who it was, both Naruto and Yamato widened their eyes in shock.

"Kakashi-sensei? What're you-"

"I'm here to collect you and Hinata, actually. The Hokage wants to see you, Naruto, and if Hinata is out much longer, her cover will be blown."

"C-Cover...?" the girl wondered aloud.

"Yes. Noticing you had snuck out, your younger sister took your place using a Transformation jutsu, under the guise that she herself had gone out for some late-night training. The longer you stay out, the longer she has to maintain the ruse, and the higher the risk that said ruse is discovered. The question-and-answer session will have to wait until morning."

"But Sensei...How did _you_ know?"

"Oh, Kami," Hinata swore under her breath. She vaguely remembered passing right by someone upon exiting her family's compound, though she had figured she was still moderately delirious at the time.

"As her expression tells me she's just realized, Hinata passed right by me upon exiting her home tonight. I quickly paid a visit using a clone to make sure nothing was amiss. Hanabi told me everything."

Falling silent, the two teens allowed Kakashi to take them from the room. As soon as they entered the hospital's lobby, however, Naruto was surprised to see Tsunade and Shizune there to greet them.

"Wait a moment, Kakashi," the Hokage ordered, "I'll just make sure to erase any 'evidence' of the night's activities." Healing the girl's self-inflicted wounds, the Hokage motioned for Kakashi to take her and leave.

Just then, an alarm rang out throughout the entire building.

"That...That sounds like the quarantine bay's alarm!" Shizune gasped.

Impulsively, Naruto dashed off for said area, followed by Tsunade and Shizune. Hinata, however, was stopped by Kakashi, who simply shook his head gently. Remembering that she needed to get home quickly, the girl complied with his unspoken order and followed him back to her clan's estate. As much as she wanted to help Naruto, Hanabi also needed her help, too, except in a different way. She would just have to trust Naruto to handle the situation as usual.

Bursting into the quarantine bay, Naruto was shocked to find another battle had erupted, with Yamato being the last ninja standing against the vigilante girl. In his captain's hand, Naruto could clearly make out some sort of syringe, filled with cyan liquid. It wasn't very large or anything abnormal like that, but he could sense that the girl trusted the serum within the syringe about as much as one would trust a scorpion not to be poisonous.

"Dammit," he heard Tsunade mutter, "Why didn't he just restrain her first?"

"I already told you, Tenzo! I am _not_ letting you inject me with some weird chemical!"

"And _I_ told _you_, Kuroko, that this serum is only going to help you-"

"Yeah, but help me with _what_? That's what I wanna know, and that's also what you're not telling me!"

Yamato looked frustrated, but it seemed like he was doing a fair job of keeping his cool. "It's for your abilities. This serum is the complete version of the medicine Hyuga Hinome-sama used on you once! I dev-"

He stopped short when her dark aura flared up once again. "Don't...Don't you _dare_ mention that name again! You think you can fool me, Tenzo? That woman was a genius with herbs, and even _she_ didn't know how to negate the effects!"

"Did I say I could _negate_them? I only said this will help. It'll help a lot more than your attitude is, right now."

"Oh, is that right? Well, _excuse_ me for not _falling over_ in excitement!"

Feeling that he'd finally had enough, Naruto ignited his own aura as he charged in. "Rrragh!" he roared as he barreled into the girl.

"Kuh!" she grunted. She was never going to get used to this kid and how random he was.

"My aura negates hers, Yamato-taicho! Hurry up and stick 'er while I have her pinned!" Upon saying this, Naruto increased the intensity of his chakra output as far as he could, fully negating the withering black aura.

"Kuroko...Sorry," Yamato said quietly as he dashed forward, injecting the serum into Kuroko's arm.

"Guh...!" the girl gasped. Noticing Naruto's grip begin to weaken from the strain, she tore him off of her and flung him a short distance away, only for him to be easily caught by Tsunade as she and Shizune were busy healing the other ninjas present. Flaring out her aura as much as she could, Kuroko herself was astonished to see the shadowy mass begin to recede on its own. Nothing she could do could force it to come back. Feeling short of breath, she began to breathe heavily. Unbeknownst to her, her body was undergoing yet another change- this time, for the better. The most notable change was in her eyes. As she herself managed to see from a mirror in the room, the red and black of her "cursed" eyes was receding, almost as if it was all being drawn into her pupil, until her sclera had become its natural white again, with her irises becoming black again. "Wh...What did you do...?"

"I didn't do anything. It was the serum, like I said. If you want to give anyone credit, you should give it to the original inventor of the serum."

"I thought that was...you?"

"That just proves you weren't listening. I even said this earlier; the inventor of the original serum is your former teacher. All _I_ did was modify the formula into the version you got injected with just now."

"D...Did we...win...?" Naruto asked groggily, as if he had just woken up from a long nap. Upon seeing the mystery girl slowly walking toward Yamato as if to touch his face, he snapped awake. Trying to run to the older shinobi's aid, however, he was stopped by Tsunade.

"No, Naruto...Wait."

"But...!"

"'But' nothing. Just wait."

As the impulsive boy watched with a mix of apprehension and excitement, he saw her yank her hand away just as she was about to touch Yamato, as if afraid her dark aura would unexpectedly come back and kill him. Fortunately, this did not occur, as could be seen when the man himself took hold of his old acquaintance's wrist and touched her hand to his left cheek. Feeling no change whatsoever, Kuroko just stood there for a moment in stunned silence, then began to look as if she was about to cry. It was only when she nearly tackled Yamato in an emotional embrace that the other three ninja let down their guard. Humorously, for a moment there it was almost as if Yamato was frozen from shock, though he quickly recovered and returned the embrace, albeit somewhat awkwardly.

"Shizune, I need you to handle things here while I talk to Naruto about something in my office. Do you think you can do that?"

"Yes, ma'am! You can count on me, Tsunade-sama!"

"Good. Come on, Naruto."

Silently nodding, the boy followed his adopted grandmother. As they approached her office, he finally spoke up. "What's gonna happen to her?" he asked.

Sighing, the Hokage replied, "I honestly have no idea. I have no intention of prosecuting her to the fullest extent of the law, but she still needs to be punished for her actions."

"Maybe a community service type of deal?" Naruto asked, "Y'know, because she was way strong when I fought her, and she could probably teach people a lot about stealth and operating at night."

"That's actually a great idea, Naruto!" Tsunade replied, beaming. Clearly, the boy was growing up. Remembering the news Shikamaru had brought her the previous day, however, she returned to her grave expression. "I will definitely consider what you've said as one of my better options in this situation," she continued, "But I actually need to talk to you about something else."

"Like what?" Naruto asked blankly.

Producing a telescope similar to his own from her desk drawer, the world-weary woman passed it to her adopted grandson. "Use this, and look at the sky near where the moon is," she told him.

Obeying the command, Naruto took a brief look before folding the telescope again and producing a small cleaning rag.

"What do you think you're doing?" Tsunade asked in an annoyed tone.

"Your telescope's got a speck on it. I'm just cleaning it like Jiraiya taught me to."

"It's not the telescope. You're actually looking _at_ the speck using the telescope."

"Haha!" Naruto laughed, "That's just goofy, Granny! If that speck is aaaall the way out there, that means that, at that distance, it's probably some _huge_ piece of land or something!"

"Good guess, actually," Tsunade said flatly, raising an eyebrow. For all his faults, Naruto was very intuitive when he needed to be.

Naruto just stared at her. "So...Wait, _what_? So...It really _is_ a big chunk of land?"

"Mn," the blonde woman replied as she nodded. "That it is. What's worse, according to our friends Shikamaru and Temari, it's on a collision course for the area surrounding this very building. In a few more days, as Temari put it, I'll be next-door neighbors with whoever is living up there, if anyone at all."

"Whoa," Naruto marveled. "Well if _they_ said that...Then crazy as it sounds, they're probably right...So, wait, what do you want _me_to do about it?"

"The village's top minds are meeting daily to figure that out," Tsunade replied. "All we know for sure is, we'll need you to do _something_. Sorry to put such a burden on you like this, but I need to ask you personally...Can we-"

"Granny," Naruto said, looking out the window again, "If you're asking if you can count on me again, don't."

"Wh-What? What are you saying?"

"All I mean is," he said, turning back to her and grinning his characteristic goofy grin, "Don't bother asking! Of _course_ you can count on me!"

As he spoke, Tsunade could've sworn she saw Nawaki and Dan at the same time...Yet again was this boy reminding her of them both. Smiling absentmindedly, she just nodded. "Naruto...Thank you."

"Hey, you okay, Granny?"

"Yes...Just tired," she replied reassuringly. "And haven't I told you to stop calling me that?" In fact, she'd been telling him for quite a while, to the point where her telling him that had become playful banter more than anything else. "Anyway, you're dismissed for now. Go rest up. For all we know, we might need you to mobilize tomorrow."

"Got it!" Naruto said as he threw up a goofy mock-salute.

Strolling home, Naruto got to thinking about many different things, chiefly his relationship with Hinata. Seeing the vigilante girl hug Yamato-taicho so fiercely had made him realize he had never done anything of the sort with Hinata, though he claimed to everyone that she was his girlfriend. How must she feel, he wondered, when he repeatedly made claims that they were in a relationship, which she made no attempt to refute or deny, but barely did anything more with her than he normally used to do, except more frequently? "I...I don't know how to deal with women," he thought to himself exasperatedly. "I'm treating this like it's all some big game...What was I _thinking_?" Deciding to seek advice, he considered his options. There was Shikamaru, who seemed to have a pretty solid relationship with Temari, or Kakashi-sensei, if he could find him, who seemed to be experienced enough...Or maybe Iruka-sensei? Naruto hadn't spoken to him very much lately, but he knew Iruka was always there for him if he ever needed it, and this was as good a time as any.

Upon arriving at Iruka's house, Naruto considered just throwing open the door humorously like he always used to do as a child, just for old times' sake...But he eventually decided against it, telling himself that he was much too old now for such childish antics. Knocking at the door instead, he received quite the shock when he heard a female voice that sounded quite familiar.

"Huh...Muh?" he heard the voice mutter sleepily.

He knew Iruka had a couch near the door, so whoever this was must've been napping there. Did Iruka have a secret girlfriend or something? Furthermore, was she staying over at his house? Naruto was snapped from his wild fantasies by the girl calling out.

"Is there someone there...?"

To confirm that he was indeed "there," Naruto knocked a few more times.

"Is there someone at the door?" he heard Iruka's voice coming from deeper in the house. Yep, Naruto thought, definitely something funny going on here.

Yawning, the girl answered him, saying, "Yep, sounds like it. I'll get it!"

Wanting to look cool in front of his sensei's girlfriend, Naruto backed up from the door a little bit and straightened up. However, this was all for naught when the girl threw open the door, just as he had initially wanted to do, big, cheeky grin and all.

"Hey!" she said cheerfully. Naruto's suspicions were correct; the girl in Iruka-sensei's house wasn't just _any_ girl; it was Anko-sensei. Contrary to her normal appearance, she was wearing a simple tank top over her trademark fishnet top and regular pants in lieu of her skirt. Another thing that was missing was her headband, suggesting that she was off-duty. "Well, if it isn't..." she began coyly, then stopped mid-sentence. "Wait...Nevermind, you're probably not lookin' for me, are ya? Iruka! It's for you!" she called as she went back inside.

Amid a slight clamor of pots and pans which suggested Iruka was coming from the kitchen, the man himself came to the door. "Hey Naruto!" he said in his characteristically warm manner. "What, did you smell the ramen or something?"

"Heh, it'd be funny if I did, right, Sensei?...But that's not why I'm here. I have some things I wanted to ask you about...But if now's not a good time," he said, subtly motioning towards Anko, "I understand."

"Nonsense!" Iruka assured his former student, "Anko and I were just about to have dinner, that's all. Care to join us? I know you can at least eat _something_, given that crazy appetite of yours!"

Naruto gladly accepted the invitation, but the odd glint Anko got in her eyes when Iruka said they were only about to eat dinner together made him feel on edge. It was almost as if she was laughing at that statement, at least in the inside. Were her motives perhaps less than pure? Pushing such thoughts from his mind, Naruto entered the house.

Once the trio was seated around Iruka's kitchen table, Naruto finally spoke up. "Uh, I don't wanna sound like a jerk or anything," he said awkwardly, "But what're you doing here, Anko-sensei? I didn't know you were tight with Iruka-sensei!"

"Bahahaha!" the girl burst out laughing.

"_Naruto_!" Iruka hissed at him, an awkward expression on his face due to the seeming randomness of Anko's laughter, "Don'tcha think that was a _little_ rude?"

"Heheh...Nah, it's fine, Iruka. It's just that this kid is so funny! 'Tight'? Who even says that anymore?" she said, grinning. "I hadn't noticed before, but _damn_, you've grown! You're about _my _height now, give or take a centimeter!"

"He _has _grown, hasn't he?" Iruka said as if out of pride. "Anyway, Naruto, as for 'why she's here', well, Anko and I _are _friends, nothing more, and she-"

"I locked myself outta my house and I suck at picking locks," the girl said coolly, cutting him off. "Happens all the time, really."

"A little _too _often, if you ask me," Iruka said under his breath.

"Hey! I heard that! I can stay wherever I want, y'know! Only reason why I come here is because you live near my house and because we're pals!"

"Yeah?" Iruka said in mock annoyance, "What kinda 'pal' barges into her friend's house, eats him outta house and home unless he stops her, and gets drunk on HIS sake all the time?"

"Hey, just be glad I can't hold my liquor. I get drunk after only a few cups. You have plenty of booze left, don'tcha?...And besides...The more liquored-up I am, the easier it is for you to...Y'know," she finished slyly, winking.

"A-Anko, what the hell?" Iruka demanded, blushing madly, "Not in front of Naruto!"

"Ah, he's a grown-up; he can handle it," Anko said around a mouthful of noodles, "Right, blondie?"

Blushing himself, Naruto merely nodded. It was a bit of an odd thing to think, but Anko-sensei was...kinky. He was pretty sure that this was what Jiraiya called "aggressive flirting". Having seen it firsthand, Naruto found that he agreed with his sensei: this was very much a turn-on.

Desparate to change the subject, Iruka took a large swig of water and turned to Naruto, saying, "Uh, didn't you say you had something you wanted my advice about?"

"Y-Yeah," stammered the young jinchuriki. "It's about my relationship with Hinata...I don't feel like I'm treating her right."

"Well, the first step is always to admit that," Iruka said reassuringly. "Why don't you start by describing how you usually treat her?"

"Well, I always treated her pretty well, so I just assumed I should do pretty much the same things- y'know, talk to her and hang out and junk- only, y'know, more often. And I tell people she's my girlfriend."

"Hm...Well yes, I do remember how you treated her in the Academy and also during those first Chunin Exams...I'd say you two have some great chemistry. But...What's the problem, then?"

"It's just...I don't feel like I'm taking it seriously enough. I don't know how to put it..."

"If I could interject...have you guys ever touched? Y'know, like hugging, holding hands...kissing?" Anko asked.

"Anko...," Iruka said in a warning tone.

"Whaaat? It's not like I'm asking if they've _slept together_ or anything! It's a perfectly legit question!"

"Iruka-sensei, it...It's fine. And to answer the question...No. None of those."

Snapping her fingers, Anko grinned. "See? There's your problem!"

Sighing, Iruka replied, saying, "I'm not so sure...Why not ask Hinata herself?"

"Duh, Sensei! She'll feel bad! And worse, what if she lies about it because she feels bad, and THEN feels bad about lying to me?"

"That's a...complicated line of thought you got there," Iruka said in reply, "But you might be over-thinking-"

"But I'm not! I _know _I'm not...It's just, I think I'm treating our relationship like it's a game, and I wanna get serious!"

"Wait," Anko thought, "Do you really need to be 'serious' in a relationship? Isn't it just about how you feel about each other?"

"Well, that's very admirable of you to say, Naruto," Iruka said reassuringly, "Looks like you've got the right idea."

Upon hearing this, Anko felt crestfallen, as though the opposite of that comment was directed at her. "So you really _do _need to be serious...But what does that look like?"

"I'm sure Hinata would be a much better person to ask about this than me," Iruka said. "I don't even have a girlfriend!"

At this, Anko's hads rolled into fists as the kunoichi clenched her teeth with suppressed rage. "You moron, it's not like it's _my _fault you can't take a hint!" she thought. That was it. She _had _to do something.

Smiling, Iruka clapped Naruto on the shoulder and said, "Chin up! I'm sure this'll all work out if you just talk to-mmph!"

He never got to finish that sentence, however, as Anko had leapt onto him, pressing her lips onto his in a fierce, passionate kiss. He could even taste the ramen she had been eating, for the kiss was just that close.

As both of them came away a minute later, gasping for breath, Iruka caught Anko by the shoulders as she tried to come back in for a second kiss. "Anko...Wh-What are you doing...?" Though it didn't seem as if he completely disliked the situation, he was clearly shocked.

"I...I'm getting serious. About how I feel about you...About our relationship with each other...About everything. I...I love you, Umino Iruka. Take me or not, I l-mmph?"

This time it was Anko's turn to be shocked as she was silenced by Iruka's own caress. "About time you said that, instead of just goofing around all the time," he told her when they finally pulled apart again.

"Wh-What?"

"Any idiot could see that you're...ahem, attracted to me, but it takes the person's own confession to show how they really feel. I was waiting for you to say what you said just now."

Naruto just sat there, staring at the couple. Rising silently, he simply left them without a word. They would probably appreciate the privacy, anyway. Besides, he'd gotten his question answered. He decided he _would _soeak to Hinata about his issue after all, but he had an idea of how to fix it...The only challenge was doing it in such a way as to not freak her out.

* * *

That, ladies and gents, is my attempt at a filler chapter...And yes, it was ship-tastic. Well-done or no? And also, I apologize to any KakaIru fans who I've offended, if any, but...I do not write yaoi. I won't bash on it, but I don't write it. Just not my thing.


End file.
